Really cute place to grab a bite and leave happy and full. Our carne asada burritos were delicious and the street tacos were loaded. The guacamole was made fresh and everything was great all around. I didn't take pics because we were too hungry and I forgot lol.

We had El Tapatio Cater our sons wedding and they did not disappoint!!! Everything was fresh, and on point! We will be back for our next family event. The churro station is a MUST!!! Carolina and her team are THE BEST in SD !!!

I had such a delicious meal and the service was very good. I was pleasantly surprised that there was table service and it was fast and friendly. The prices were good too. I ordered a small Carne Asada fries and it came out to around $12 with tax. They had a nice outdoor patio that was very clean. Definitely recommend and please tip your servers at least 18% that's standard, 15% is a cheap tipper. I wait tables for a living and I feel it's something that needs to get reminded about.

A favorite local spot. Carne Asada for dinner tonight. We often go for breakfast. They have both indoor and outdoor dining.

Good food authentic bit super packed so even better, update still very good and tasty, cafe de la Olla pretty good

This is the best Mexican restaurant I've been to in the San Diego area. The food and service was subperb.

We spent the day in Coronado and decided to end the day by driving through Imperial Beach. On the way out my family and I were hungry and we saw El Tapatio. The place is small but very homey. We waited a few minutes to be seated on the patio. The server was quick and attentive. The food came out fast and it was TO DIE FOR!!!! My kids usually complain about something and not one word was uttered. My mother in law loved her enchiladas, and my carne asada steak tacos were bomb! I wish we lived in California so we could visit this place more often.

Great service, traditional Mexican eatery, I had huevos divorciado and Cafe de olla, Mexican coffee🤤

I’ve been coming here over a decade & never disappoints! Food & friendly staff are awesome! I highly recommend.

Very handicap accessible. Lovely breeze on the patio, very pretty. Ordered one enchilada suiza, and one mole poblano, and one chicken tamal. All three were better than I had expected, really stood out.

Absolutely the best Carne Asada burrito. It was packed the perfect combination of flavor, and the steak was expertly crafted. I’m a big eater and this thing had me stuffed! The picture doesn’t do it justice. But I can tell you this, you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t go here the next time you’re in SD. Crunchy crust on bits of juicy steak, fresh as they come tortillas, and the perfect amount of guacamole and pico de gallo. Perfection in a tortilla. Don’t skip on an order of jalapeño carrots either.

Visiting Corona Beach everything was so busy ... started searching and found this GEM 💎 omg food was delicious, service was outstanding 👌 cafe de la olla the best . The server gave us the best costumer service felt like we knew each other. Prices are good for the smount of food ...I highly recommend it. if you are in the area come visit.

Food was great, portions were just right. Taste was awesome, just like the service given. I do recommend 100%. I had the parrillada that was delicious.

Nice Mexican food. Service is ok. Tamales are nice so the margaritas 🍹

+1

We had a nice casual buffet breakfast here this morning. The meats and omelets were delicious, so we're the sweets.

Wife and came to San Diego for the weekend found this spot driving to Imperial Beach. She had the Carnitas, I had the Machaca, both offerings were superb!!!

I ate at this place four years ago. Best Tortilla soup I've have ever tried 😋

They have good food and customer service. I would visit this place again all the way from Los Angeles. By the way I got the huevos a caballo 😋😋😋

Loved the location! Great food! Service was good and very attentive.

+1

I tried a bunch of dishes from the menu Everything was delicious. Staff is friendly. I will miss that food.

Great food, great service, huge portions, very reasonable prices. Great place to go for breakfast near the beach. Omelette are great, and full menu is available throughout the day. Coffee de Olla with cinnamon and rock sugar is awesome. Salsa for chips is chunky and mildly spicy. Eating on the patio is perfect. Will come back for more.

Sat out on the patio. the surf and turf tacos are incredible and a great deal service was great Love it there!

The food was amazing. It's def a must for breakfast

We ate here a few years ago and remembered it being awesome. We had Mexican omelette, and chilaquiles. It was so tasty! They staff was very pleasant. We have to make it a point to come back when we're in the area again.

While on a motorcycle birthday tour along the San Diego Coast line, as far south as I could go off the Coronado peninsula, I came across this easy going relaxed southern Cal area called Imperial Beach. I popped in here for a nice lunch. Food was great, staff was nice, and nice atmosphere. Enjoy!

What a fabulous place for a good little Mexican meal. Great service and we enjoyed sitting outside. My margarita was fabulous and we would ear there again.

Wow we had a fantastic experience. The food was out of this world delish.service with a smile 😃. We got a recommendation from a local and we were not disappointed. Absultly going back.

+5

Hands down some of the freshest, most delicious Mexican food I’ve ever had! If you’re in CA this is a must stop place! The staff is so friendly!

This is our first time here at El Tapatio Restaurant, We order green chilaquiles and carne asada chimichanga. I ordered grilled chicken with the chilaquiles, Chilaquiles plate comes with refried beans, potatoes and 2 eggs. Food was really tasty and fresh. Server/cashier was really friendly and nice. We will come back soon to try more item from the menu.

Excellent Mexican food. They have some unique sauces, all delicious. The al pastor was packed with flavor, as were the tamales.

+2

Marco made this a great experience. Checked on me whenever he had a chance and made this experience from a 4 star to 5 star experience.

Cute little restaurant! Would definitely recommend. Service is a little slow but work the wait! Patio has a chill and mellow vibe. Yummy drinks and amazing pan dulce!!

The staff was the most friendly! The food was amazing !! The coffee was my favorite for sure ! Thanks to the staff that was there on Sunday morning .. we came back twice . No kidding .. the best Mexican place in town !

The Caldo de res is good I also had the cafe de olla. on the caldo de res you just need a little bit of Salt but other than that is ok chips and salsa 👍

Food was AMAZING service was excellent. We went when it wasn't very busy so it wasn't crowded. I'll go back next time I'm in IB ❤

Food was great. The meats were flavored nicely and the dishes were brought to our table in a timely manner. Fair prices and great service.

We bike to the restaurant weekly have a late breakfast. Nice relaxing and not that many people. Most of the time service is on point sometimes not so much. This is our spot and enjoy the bike there.

Patio sunshine and carne asada combos. So great I went back for a second round during my week long visit. Lots of good carne asada in the area but this was a cut above.

Amy g

Amazing!!!!! SO GOOD! Local and huge portions. Very reasonable. Amazing food.

Mariah Emerson

This has become our go to spot for a cozy and delicious dinner. The service is always great, food has been top notch, and the pricing is very good too. I highly recommend. We will continue to come here while being stationed here!

Rhianna Phelps

Long standing IB Mexican restaurant. Has always been excellent, but has a great patio to dine in now. Excellent for any meal, especially breakfast! Only 2 blocks to the beach, and the best part of it.

Irene Toledo

We were going to chow down at Aranda's and noticed they didnt have mimosas. The nice gal Lucero told us go next door to El Tapatio where they offer that. We thanked and departed to make our way over there. When we arrived there was a lovely lady named Elena who was waiteressing the patio and interior. She greeted us as she saw us. We opted for indoors as it had been raining. We had our heart set on a California burrito since hubs hasn't never had one. I was surprised they have cheese crisp as you only find it in Arizona. I ordered hot chocolate Ibarra and loved they also have cafe de la olla. A plus is mimosa and micheladas. Hoping we can move down here and def will be my to go spot.

Colleen Patricia Garrett

Overall a great little spot! I've been a couple of times now. I love the decor. It's so thoughtfully curated. The margarita is delish. This last time I got the flutes - so good! Great service, will be back for more!

Dylan

Great food and quality service! Started with chips and salsa which was very fresh. Waiters came by and made sure everything was good and drinks were filled. All food had a amazing taste and presentation. I really enjoy the El Pastor Fries!! Definitely would come back in the near future.

Enrique Valencia

Man this place had my emotions on a ride hahaha. We we're looking for a lengua taco place and "El Tapatio" seemed like a safe bet so hopes were high. Look at the menu, no lengua and now thinking it's not Mexican, Mexican haha. Prices were a bit high too but we're here now. Service was a bit slow too considering how low volume it was but when the tacos and torta came out, whoo baby what a pleasant surprise. Definitely worth the price portion wise and didn't take the picture right away as you can see from the bites LOL. They also had chiles en vinagre which was the sweet (spicy) touch needed at the end. Had the jugo verde too which was great! Definitely recommended!

Joseph Knipp

My go to in Imperial Beach. Great food, attentive service, and the patio area is perfect (like sitting at your favorite Tia's house). Usually have breakfast, but this was Bernie's Special for lunch. Had appetizers first, which filled us up. Waitress brought to go boxes with extra sauce in the bottom without being asked so the leftovers wouldn't get dry.

Emanuel Perez

Came here with my girlfriend to start our day with some breakfast. It was my 40th birthday and everything was so GOOD. I appreciated this place for the tasty food. The people and the cooks deserve to be celebrated as well. We definitely will be coming back! A must try don’t over think it ! Also to top it off they gave me free peace of flan 🍮 that was the best ever ! Thank you!

Rick Howrey

Hired them to cater our wedding. Everything turned out great. As far as the resturant goes, been going there for 30+ years. Good food but there prices have been going up quite a bit lately. Not quite the bargain it used to be. Still a restaurant I go to frequently and will continue to go . I strongly recommend that you try the beef flautas , huge, meaty and very tasty. 🤨 . 666 🌽

+11

Candace Corona

My hubby and I tried this place for the first time and it did not disappoint! He ordered the surf n turf burrito, I ordered the AL pastor burrito and they were both amazing! The music was great, such a beautiful day with the wind blowing. The server was very polite and quick at her job! All in all this is a must try if your passing by with a little extra time.

Fernando Vargas

Not a bad spot at all. I would have given it a 5, but unfortunately they drowned the Queso Fundido in butter. The rest of the plates had a home cooked taste to them. Not the usual “taco shop” generic stuff you get is San Diego. Will definitely come back and try their breakfast menu.

+1

Jessica

Our food was really good! Many places to eat both outside and inside. The garden seating area is beautiful! I love the murals throughout the restaurant. The food is so good! I liked that they had kids meal options that included picking the sides. (Not just fries) The staff was very friendly!

+1

Greg Nahliuk

One of the local best restaurants with traditional Mexican and sea food . Lady who has serves us was very pleasure and been wearing in traditional clothing like our Ukrainian looks very similar. We had nice conversation with her. Nice food,good people, it’s ok price -what need more.

Good food, and quick to get you in and out. Wish they carried Jarritos and the staff were slightly more accessible outside.

Nice place to eat. My sister ordered the ham and cheese torta, I ordered two beef tacos and 1 potato taco. The torta was very good, the tacos were just good and kinda small. The waiter did take our order from the table and deliver the food, but didn't bring the bill or tell us to pay at the counter. We figured it out but spent more time there than we should have had to. Would go back.

Very nice outdoor seating. Food was good. Reasonable price. I liked the patio. The part of town was not new but it's a beach town.

Food was good. Carne asada was well made. Taste was pretty traditional spot on. For food I’ll give 7/10. Service was mediocre. Very long and slow for how busy it was.

It's a nice Mexican shop near the beach. The food was just ok for the price and the server forgot about us towards the end. But it was a piece peaceful time there.

Yum! We come here all the time for inexpensive, tasty mexican food. Their salsa is very good, and the patio area is really nice. Fyi you can get the fish tacos grilled instead of fried. Service is decent. Catering is very good and convenient too!

Great place for mexican food. I had the chicken quesadilla and 2 carne asada tacos and my fiancé had the burrito and 2 tacos and it was more than plenty of food. Price is very reasonable and everything tasted great. Costumer service needs some improvement, the lady helping us wasn’t very kind and she wasn’t very helpful either. Good place anyways!

I wish they had told me that I could have gotten more than 2 salsa for 5 dishes! You can get 2 per dish...there is a sign at the cash register that I saw as I was leaving. The food and their salsa was excellent! I'd eat there again.

I have been going to this place for years. Generally very pleased with service and food. But the last couple of months I noticed the service was very slow, even when not busy. Now they don't bring chips and salsa till after you ordef...That is NOT a bad idea, but after we ordered it took a long time to get our food. We ran out of chips and salsa pretty fast. Wouldn't have ran out so much if the service was faster. Kinda hard to get refills on drinks. I ordered mole..it was awful, my friend didn't like his either. My daughter in law tried mine and said...NO way this is not how mole is suppose to be. I only ordered it because the guy next to me said it was great. But overall their food is amazing. Obviously their mole is different than what my daughter in law and her family makes wont order it again. As far as dining in I don't see us doing that anytime soon. Probably just get the food to go.

I live in Imperial Beach and after 2 years of being in the area, I decided to go to El Tapatio. It's minutes (walking distance) from the beach. They're open for outside dining & take out. I chose to eat there. The staff there was very friendly. A-1 customer service. I ordered the mixed fajitas. Sizzling steak, shrimp, and chicken, with fresh cut vegetables. Rice and beans were also included. Food was well seasoned and tasty. If you're in the area, try them out. They have a wide menu to choose from too. Enjoy.

+1

Carne Asad was on point and beer was cold. What else could you ask for? Went back for a Tony's burrito the next day. Loved it!

We stopped for lunch and it was delicious! The patio is perfect and the restaurant is clean. Service was excellent and the food was authentic and flavorful. Try a michilada with your meal, very refreshing with the spicy salsas. The beef tacos were our favorite.

Took the Family to Imperial Beach California for the weekend! Food was delicious! Service was good! Very friendly staff. Great prices! Certainly recommend!

El Tapatio is such a staple in imperial Beach! It’s our go to Mexican takeout. I ordered the quesadilla with chicken. FYI if you order it to go it gets pretty soggy by the time you get home. Best eaten there on the patio. But the flavor of the grilled chicken is delicious and they don’t skimp on the cheese! I highly recommend El Tapatio for Mexican whether take out or dine in.

Mark Ames

When our family lived in IB, this was my go-to favorite for sit down Mexican food, and my favorite item was Huevos A Caballo. I must have had this dozens of times. Went back yesterday after maybe 10 years and was pretty disappointed. Everything was fresh, but It was only ok. Something has really changed with the enchilada sauce. Very boring now. Not even the slightest bite or kick. The shredded chicken inside the enchiladas was also bland and dry. The eggs were perfect and their salsa is still one of the best around. Side note: they added a 'custom item charge' of a buck fifty because I got flour tortillas instead of corn. That's lame.

Ashley LeBourveau-Truong

We really loved the patio here - such a pleasant spot to enjoy breakfast! The menu has some items you don't find just everywhere, which is nice. Highly recommend the cafe de olla, which was flavourful but not too sweet. The salsa is the mildest salsa I've had at a Mexican place, but the flavour was really nice. Service was a little slow but very friendly so it wasn't an issue to us

Christopher Lucero

The service was great. I can only give it a 4 star because I wasn't feeling well and couldn't really taste my food. I had the chicken enchiladas with eggs for breakfast, my wife had the chiliquiles and said it was really good. We were also told from a local that this is a good breakfast close to the beach and a must try.

Stopped at the next Mex place to eat! IB! Enjoyed some Mexican breakfast, really loved the patio minutes away from the cost and can feel the nice breeze! The food was enjoyable but did need some more seasoning love! I enjoyed the flan! The chips seemed and tasted alittle too greasy. But overall an okay experience! Staff seemed friendly, light mexican music ! Definitely gives out a vibe!

*El Tapatío* is a Mexican restaurant located conveniently near the beach and right next to a busy main street. It’s a great spot if you're looking to grab a bite after some time by the ocean, though my experience was a bit mixed. I started with a green juice, which was fresh and flavorful, it took a little while to arrive, but the quality made it worth the wait. For my main dish, I had the chipotle cream chilaquiles with arrachera. Unfortunately, something was off with the chilaquiles they had an unpleasant smell, almost like feet or a dirty rag, and the taste was similarly unappealing. I couldn’t finish them, but the arrachera, which I paid extra for, was okay. My husband, on the other hand, really enjoyed his chile relleno burrito. It was large and filled with rice, which he liked, and it was overall satisfying. The salad he ordered was simple but generously portioned. A heads-up: there's a 3.5% fee if you pay with a credit card, so be prepared for that. Overall, *El Tapatío* offers a decent dining experience in a convenient location. While my meal had its issues, there were some highlights, especially the fresh juice and the burrito my husband enjoyed. With a few improvements, it could easily be a go-to spot by the beach.

If you are in a hurry DO NOT GO HERE! Went for lunch, they were fairly busy, but even after ordering our food, it took far longer than other much busier establishments have taken. Enchiladas were fairly bland and disappointing. Street tacos were actually very good. Server didn't refill drinks, when I asked for the check she walked by 3 different times to other close by tables and didn't bring the check.

The most bland Mexican food I think I have ever had. The salsa had absolutely no flavor and the queso wasn't much better. Got the birria tacos which were just okay. The server was great and outdoor seating was nice but that's about it. I like spicy and this did not fit the bill. At all.

Sat right away on a weeknight. Disappointed that they don’t have a full bar, and chips and salsa aren’t automatically brought to your table. Every Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to they are a staple. Ordered and paid for them anyway along with guac and queso but wasn’t super impressed. Salsa was watery. Ordered suiza enchiladas and also wasn’t impressed, chicken was dry, side of rice also dry. Husband ordered steak street tacos and loved them. Ordered a strawberry margarita (only 3 flavors to choose from), it was drinkable, again not impressed. Quite weird atmosphere. Every Mexican restaurant I’ve been in plays some sort of music. This one was oddly quiet.

First time here customer service was great and food was good with good flavor just some items on menu were not available

Average burritos. They could be a little saucier and flavorful on the inside. Some mods would make them pretty good.

The food here is very good, but the service needs major improvement. We waited five minutes to be seated, despite no one else being ahead of us. After waiting, the young guy working today just told us to pick any table without offering any assistance. We had to repeatedly ask for coffee refills, and the service felt inattentive overall. To make things worse, after I paid with the QR code, the same guy ran after me as I was leaving, asking if I had paid, even though it had already been processed. While the food was great, the terrible service, especially from the young guy working today, makes it hard for me to want to return.

The tortillas and very fresh. They do not use a lot (if any) salt which was a nice surprise - I needed the sodium break. Pricing is excellent and it appears that they have decent specials; note - they will charge you for more than one cup of hot water with lime without telling you. When I saw it on my bill I asked the waiter and he told me at that time. I advised him he should let the customer know before hand. It was lack luster for me. City Tacos on Seacoast Drive rocks much tastier food. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Now I know and will doubtfully revisit.

+5

Kick-back Mexican eatery with a cool patio and decent food. The chili Colorado was good with thin strips of beef and cactus in an earthy tomato sauce with enough of a kick to give it some interest. The chips were thick and crisp, and the salsa had a bit of heat but tends toward the milder side with fresh onions and cilantro in it. The restaurant has a beer and wine license only so the margaritas are wine margaritas, but it was good as far as wine maggies go. Relaxed little place. I would come back.

Jon Berker

I was looking for an authentic Mexican breakfast in IB. I ordered the machaca and egg plate. The meat, beans and salsa tasted like it came from a can. The egg tasted like it was cooked in an old skillet. They served new potatoes instead of rice. The potatoes were cooked in old oil. The service, coffee, chips and tortillas were excellent. I will try again and order something different. Worth another chance

Sofia Bayardo

I have been visiting this restaurant for over ten years. Things have been declining. I was there Friday for dinner with some out of town guest. I was disappointed and embarrassed. We waited ten minutes to be seated, then ten to fifteen minutes for the server to come. Then we waited one hour and 15 minutes to get the food. Four of the dishes were excellent but my enchiladas were terrible. They were tiny with little sauce and virtually no cheese inside and none on top. I asked for a manager and was to there were no managers. The servers blamed it on the cooks. Two other parties were complaining and one large party walked out. I hope things will get better because we do have a lot of choices in the area.

I came here based on good reviews, but honestly, I was disappointed that the food was not fresh. I ordered chicken fajitas, and obliviously, the vegetables were frozen, and the chicken was really elastic. Besides, the other beef fajitas we ordered were fishy and couldn't be swallowed. They may be good at other Mexican food, but for sure, not fajitas although it is expensive

Nice location. The food is pretty average/ bland. Took a while for someone to come take our order. We were mostly there because we saw the nice patio but probably won't go back as the food was not great.

They should not call this Mexican Food. Insipid Anglosised fare. Taco bell is more Mexican than this place. I felt cheated out of my Money.

The only saving grace for this place is that it could be worse. Service was slow, though we got our food pretty quickly. They are also stingy with the chips and salsa. The food is not very good. Mine was below average, and my parents said theirs was no good. My advice would be to go elsewhere for Mexican food. With my review is a photo of the bowls they bring the chips and salsa in, keeping in mind they are not filled all the way.

This place serves decent Americanized Mexican food. The service, however, is as disaster. We had to ask three times for silverware. Had to ask twice for a coffee refill - the coffee was really bad and they gave us coffee mate creamers instead of real cream. On the plus side, prices are very reasonable for Imperial Beach.

Wait time was long (there were no customers) Workers weren’t attentive, took 40 minutes time to bring a glass of water. And my patience was limited when the waiter came and said the food I’d ordered wasn’t available. I ordered something else and she nonchalantly told my husband there Is no food. At this point I could see the people who came in after us getting their food. Overall this restaurant looks beautiful but needs to work on their discrimination.

Got food poisoning from the 3 chicken rolled tacos. Never going back! Got really sick after

This place I was told is great. However, we are here on a Girl Scout trip and we decided to give it a try. One girl ordered the cheese crisp. Overall she enjoyed it. Wasn’t pre cut and broke easily when she tried eating it. Maybe a tad over cooked. My other girl ordered a California burrito and wasn’t a fan. The meat (asada) was in big chucks and very tough. Mostly fries and guacamole. I ordered the birria & carnitas tacos. The birria lacked flavor. The carnitas meat was WAY over cooked, extremely hard meat and dry!!! The salsa was decent. Had good flavor but lacked a kick of spice in my opinion. Not sure I’ll go here again. 🤷🏻‍♀️ the servers were nice but the service was extremely slow and cook time took forever!

+1

Nancy Michaels

Have been coming here over 20 years. The time before our recent meal it was very average but edible. This last Sunday we both ordered a different breakfast and could not even eat it. Scrambled Eggs were scorched , potatoes ice cold and beans had an odd taste. The employee saw us leaving and asked if we could give her reasons we were unhappy. Betty was very very kind but we explained and she was apologetic. We still paid but left the food which in hindsight , wish we had spoken up beforehand. Such a convenient and cute spot near us that I’ll miss going to.