Great food and service. The food was awesome and the fried ice cream was great. The have live entertainment often great place to dine.

We've been going to Tio Leo's for over 20 years . My family usually goes there for birthdays and other special events or just to have a casual lunch or dinner. Food has always been great. Some of the servers have been there as long as we've been going which is nice.

Great food and atmosphere. Service was fast and friendly and they were accommodating to a Vegan diet. Thank you

Best Mexican food hands down. My family now lives in Utah and comes back every few yrs and makes sure this is one of our stops.

We celebrated a relative's birthday here in a private room. The food was delicious & large quantities! I had the surf & turf burrito and took half home for the next day. There was a really good band playing, so the ambiance was quite nice.

Glad to see them re-opened – a San Diego classic! Awesome food.

I've been coming here for 40+ years. Great place when Old Town Mex is packed. Live music on weekend nights.

Love the chips and salsa. They have started charging for an extra bowl of chips and the carrots. Which was fine, just new. I had a bean tostada, very good. My friend had the steak bowl and it had a lot of meat. My daughter had the beef tacos which she said was very good. And their rice is great too.

Nice venue, love the live band and the drink specials, the staff, and was friendly and seemed to care.about our needs. Music was great but with it being a small space music didnt have to be as loud as it was.

+2

For date night, we decided to come here since we hadn't eaten here since the Mission Gorge location closed. And it was a GREAT decision! Our waitress Alex took great care of us from the beginning of our meal to the end! The sincerity, attentiveness and all w/a personal touch was a delight! Great food & music from a live band was icing on the cake for our night. Thank you Alex❣️

First time there... loved it! Food was great... had eggplant quesadilla.

+6

We were driving by and saw the sign Tio Leo and pulled in, The moment we walked in we felt like it was so welcoming, Live music great food and we went into the bar lounge, Leonard and Roberto and other staff were amazing ! Thank You The Grays

We were there to dance to Three Car Garage band. The band didn't disappoint.

I really enjoy the mixed burrito beef and beans and cheese melted on top. Live entertainment,. Definitely a fun place.

Best Mex food in town and the only Tio Leo's in town We ger out same friendly waitress and she's amazing. My apologies. I don't remember her name, but she's got cool tats and a cutie pie Everyone please 🙏 go and keep this place open FYI, they also have outside seating and awesome bands/concerts

Wonderful venue for jazz on Sunday evenings. Definitely a local San Diego gem.

Our waiter, Ricky, was wonderful. Very attentive and accommodating. The food was delicious…I had shrimp enchiladas and was only able to eat half. This is the half I took home…it was just as good the next day for lunch. I’ll be back soon.

The BEANS and chips.👌🏼 Also, best spot for live vintagey music....swing, blues, rockabilly, and jazz in the Lounge

I have now been here twice, both times for Sunday Jazz Night, which is incredible…but my review is a bit different. It’s not about the food although my vegetarian burrito was incredible. It’s not about the drinks, but my Mai Tai was fantastic. It’s about the level of exemplary service I was given by Leonard. He is one of the most cheerful, kind, attentive people you could ever meet. He went above and beyond, educating me about the vegetarian options and even gave recommendations of how to make the burrito even yummier by adding roasted onions and bell peppers and he recommended getting my avocado and pico on the side since the burrito gets heated. On top of that, he ran around the restaurant helping people who needed assistance with getting seated. I caught a pic of him helping this sweet man make his way outside. And last Sunday there was standing room only and I stood against the back wall for 2 hours. One of the bartenders came to me and asked me if I’d like a drink because I was so kind so stay out of the way of the staff. “This one’s on me” she said. I am beyond impressed. Many people work to collect a paycheck. And that’s fine. But these two humans are all about quality, efficiency and treating you with kindness and respect. I highly recommend Leonard and sadly I didn’t get the name of the other server. I will be back regularly especially now that I know they have live music every night and dancing on Mondays!

I loved the outdoor venue for having dinner and listening to a live band. The food is delicious and so reasonably priced. A la Cart items start a $5 and complete dinners at $15. I had a large bowl of the tortilla soup that was loaded with chicken and veggies and it came with 3 tortillas. All for $8! I also had a large cheese quesadilla that I shared. The house margarita was perfect. Even though the place was busy, the servers were friendly and accommodating. To be able to dance to a live band outdoors was awesome and to top it off you can watch the Sea World fireworks from your seat. Oh, and did I mention plenty of parking?

I was surprised. Pleasantly. The food was hot, fresh and pretty doggone good! I finished my entire plate. The portion sizes were perfect. I'm getting hungry right now just thinking about the ground beef enchiladas that I had.

Plenty of Mexican food for the price, big selection on the menu. Local service, same employees for years, also a bar for live music on the weekends

This place is fun! The crowd is more middle-aged with a classic vibe. The menu is very well spoken and the food is delicious. The bar service was fast and courteous. They have live music every night. Just go, you will have a good time.

Good crowd for the Siers Brothers on Friday. Dancing to the oldies. Bella is a lovely wait staff person, good service. Rice bowl with carne asada delicious, pink meat, huge portion. Shrimp enchilada stuffed full. We come often.

It's the last tio Leo's. We have to go to keep it open! I like the food a lot and the music at night can be very fun.

Took my 11-year-old son and had some dinner. Food was yummy and the waitress was awesome.

Mike Slavin

There is a dining area where you can carry on a conversation. Also, our waiter paid attention to our needs, checking with us regularly.

Dale Birmingham

I just visited off of Napa St. I love their chips and salsa, had for many years, except for the salsa today. It is not the same and I brought it up to them so hopefully when I return in a few weeks working down there, I will stop by and see if it has put back to normal. Tomato sauce does not qualify for making salsa.

The Craic Pirate

Surprisingly good Mexican food. Generous portions. Prepared fast. Variety on menu. Easy access from road, parking is limited. Very popular with locals. Dimly lit. Live band entertainment. I ordered take out and they provided plenty of salsa cups. I will definitely be returning with my whole crew 🦜🏴‍☠️ Yarrr!!!

Tamilisa Miner

Mmm!! I have eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants. This one was so tasty. The beans were delicious. I got a combo plate with 2 enchiladas, one with cheese only and one with some chicken added. It had the red sauce on top. loved it! The salsa was very fresh tasting. It was a tad too spicy for me but for any one else it is probably perfect. Lol. Our kids all found something to eat... grilled cheese and chicken strips. The waitress threw in some ice cream them. We had just arrived in town after a 7- hour drive so that was helpful! We could hear and enjoy the live music coming from the bar/club area that was attached to the restaurant. I had the fried ice cream (I consider myself a connoisseur of this) with simply some chocolate syrup on top (they offer other toppings too). It had a yummy, lightly fried texture. So yummy!! The atmosphere was nice with the dimmed lighting and the layout, etc. Plenty of room for large parties. Prices seemed normal for the area.

+23

Fiery Irish Sparkle

I had a crispy quesadilla and it was delicious! The young waitress was really sweet and amiable. I would go back! 1. Crispy quesadilla 2. Strawberry margarita (poor lighting... looks orange!)

Torrie G

Becoming one of my favorite bars. The bands are always stellar, the place is clean, Leonard the bartender is super sweet and tentative, everyone who comes is there for the love of music and dance, can't ask for more!

+2

Catherine Hunt

This is our first time in this restaurant. We went because our favorite local band BetaMaxx was playing. We ate at the bar and our server was awesome. She was very friendly and attentive. We had the carnitas plate and it was tasty. The bus boy was very attentive and gave us complimentary chips and salsa right away. The band was awesome and glad we went.

Lorene Loret

Been going here for years. The food is delicious, we especially love the carne asada quesadilla and their tacos! They serve large portions and the service is fantastic. Be sure to ask for the hot carrots!

This is an epic local San Diego Mexican restaurant that has been around longer than I can remember! The food is always delicious.

We went on Sunday evening during their jazz concert series. The bar restaurant fills up quickly, so get there early to grab dinner beforehand. We got a carne asada burrito & a tostada supreme. Both were tasty & well priced.

I went to hear a live band and to have a Margarita and dance.

I object strongly to cover charges being cash only when your ATM charges $4 per transaction!! I also object strongly to having to pay $9 for tap beer. But the real kicker was paying $3 for a thimbleful of sour cream. The service is outstanding the music venue is wonderful but being gouged no fun.

I’ve only eaten in the bar’s lounge. I come here for the great live music and they have a decent sized (though somewhat small) dance floor. There usually is a cover but the bands are great, and you can get food and drinks, so it’s a pretty good evening out especially if you don’t feel like cooking on some night. Bands start at 7:00pm which is perfect for dinner first while here. I don’t come here for the food, or the speed of service. Those things are ok. Some nights better than others. Really nice staff!!

Definitely not the same as it was 10 years ago. The vibe is gone and the whole place seems sleepy. The food wasn't as good either. It seemed that it wasn't quite as fresh as it used to be.

Always great food. Service can be hit or miss. Been going to Tio Leo's since the 80's and I am sad only one remains.

Yummy food, friendly staff. The only thing I don't like is how loud the bar area gets in the evening when you're trying to eat in the restaurant area. That might be more of a "me" issue, though. And they need a bigger parking lot. But with all that said, I have many fond memories of Tio Leo's from as far back as I can remember. I'll keep coming every time I'm in SD :)

I dinned in the Tio Leo’s, the service was OK. The food was great. The atmosphere was fun. The band playing in the other room was very loud though and you could hear it in the restaurant part and it was only dinner time. I guess it was an early bird show food was great again and the atmosphere was OK so I’m gonna give it a four out of five.

I've been eating at Tio Leo's for over 30 years. I've been to all of their locations. This time was like old times, great! The only issue was the slow service due to few employees during a busy lunch time. Other than that the food was great and the chips and salsa were great. I hope they never go out of business. I hope the owners invest in new booths because they are very worn out.

Food was good. I had the chili Colorado. It could have been a little spicier and been served with some sour cream. My friend had a tostada, but it was so soggy she had to ask for a plain fried tortilla to eat with it. The staff were helpful and the atmosphere was pleasant.

This place is amazing for a quick bite or some drinks. Relax here and have fun with the whole experience with the live band. This is more of a white person type of country folk, but always friendly and amazing. The drafts on beer are short but they're good. The mixed drinks are much to be desired. Overall great place to host family and friends or events. Or to just come down for a great night. I highly recommend.

Good authentic Mexican restaurant. Delicious food and friendly service. Try Fajitas. Yummy

+2

Friendly service. Large portions. Plenty of seating. Average pricing. I went with a large group that I was allowed to sample food from, so I can attest that the carne asada quesadilla, chicken soft tacos, crab enchiladas, and steak fajitas are all good. I recommend paying for the guacamole to go with the free nachos.

My favorite place to.grab some yummy Mexican and dance the night away! They feature local bands, indoor and outdoor, depending upin time of year. Cover is reasonable, staff super friendly, location easy to find and on-site free parking! Woohoo!!

Everything was good, but Ricky, our server was great. I unfortunately started to not feel well, and I needed to leave pretty quickly and Ricky helped a lot with that. Turns out that it was extremely low blood pressure from a medication that I recently started. That and I was visiting from a city that is nearly a mile above sea level and it was a recipe for disaster for me even though I lived in the area for 60 years prior to moving 4 years ago.

Great spot for drinks and dancing. Loved the band on my last visit. Detroit Underground. I used to come here a lot when I lived in Clairemont before moving to Vegas. I remember the chips and salsa being so good. Overall, it's a great spot.

D. Shannon

Good food and a live band in the bar made for a fun New Years Eve dinner. Stay away from the Santa Claus bouncer. He yelled at us while we were in the lobby cuz we had a teenager with us. We were just waiting for a hostess to show up and seat us. We didn't let him ruin our dinner, though. The waitress rocked.

Cheryl Hollis

The food was good and the portions were generous. There was a very entertaining live band, Full Strength Funk Band. They even had line dancing during the band's break. I genuinely enjoyed myself.

Shane Holly

Food was okay. Not the best I've had. Was there for a birthday service was okay. Never got any refills of my drink. But got plenty of Chips and Salsa.

Amaranth R

Great live music venue. Staff was friendly. Tacos were large, tex mex style. They have a large dance floor and had great local jazz band playing with a variety of seating options; booth, stool or bar seats. Fun venue.

England Boy

Nice place to go for the older crowd. Live music from various musicians around the San Diego area in particular if you like live Jazz. Old school funk and R&B make for a great evening out. with friends and family. Food is good , but it is a tad pricey. Service is excellent and the bartenders make great drinks. If going to a concert get there early in order to get a seat with a view.

Keith Jackson

Chips and salsa are excellent as always. Food was generally good. Not happy we paid $30 for two crab enchiladas that had overcooked canned crab inside. They used to be better. Waitress was helpful.

Sarah D

We happened to be in the neighborhood looking for a spot to grab dinner, and Tío Leo’s was right there—so we decided to give it a try. When you walk in, there’s a bar area to the left that had live jazz music playing, which looked like a fun time! We were there to eat, so we followed the hostess to the dining room on the right and were seated right away. The staff was friendly, and our food came out quickly, which we appreciated. I ordered the #5 combo plate with a grilled fish taco (you can choose grilled or breaded) and a cheese enchilada. My husband had the chimichanga plate. Both were pretty average—nothing bad, but nothing memorable either. The restaurant itself is spacious and seemed popular with locals and families—we saw a few birthday dinners happening around us. It seems like a good neighborhood spot, but we probably wouldn’t go out of our way to come back for the food. That said, the live music side definitely caught our attention, and we’d love to stop back in for a drink and some live jazz if we’re ever in the area again!

OS1577

Food was alright the chips and salsa we're good, the older waitress did get on my nerves when it was time to pay, once was enough for me but hey try it out

Elizabeth Cortez

This was my first visit to Tio Leos. I was there for lunch The food was pretty good. The service was friendly and helpful-once I finally got their attention. The margaritas were tasty, not too weak nor too strong. The prices for lunch seemed a little high. I didn't see any signage or notices of lunch specials but I was hoping that there might be some offered during lunch. I don't know if I'd visit Tio Leo's again but it was good that I finally stopped by for a meal.

+7

Didi Scorzo

Very good food, authentic, but 80's vibe in the restaurant. A little pricey, chps and salsa were very good and fresh. Friendly waitress. Found out they have live music in the cantina/bar 6 days a week which is very rare these days.

The food is ok, not the most authentic Mexican food. I'm Mexican & can make better food at home. Also, the drinks aren't very strong, as you can't even taste alcohol in them. But the live music is fun.

I was there for the band. $15 cover. Very down home neighborhood vibe. Older decor and overall scenery. Over 55 age crowd, a few younger people. Had bar food The food was served fast, warm, and with a smile from the friendly bartender. The band was really good. Live music, and singers brought an upbeat old school R&B and funk music. People danced til closing time.

Absolutely best 3 star Mexican restaurant ever. Too salty, too greasy, too cheesey. Not terribly authentic. Definitely not healthy But that's what we want from a fast service sit down style Mexican restaurant. I recommend the beef tamales and the house margarita (of course!)

Wait, staff didn't seem like they wanted to be there, and the dining room was practically empty and dark, we came at about 3 pm. The atmosphere definitely had a feeling like they were closed. The cheese enchiladas we to die for! So good! We had the fried ice cream, which was amazing. I will definitely come back. Maybe they just opened and were getting acclimated.

My husband and I had been to Tio Leo's many times 30 years ago when we used to live in the area. During a recent visit to San Diego, we went back to this old favorite for lunch. On the plus side, the food and service were still really good. Unfortunately, the decor looks like it hasn't been updated in 30 years and on the day we visited there was an awful musty/sewer smell throughout the restaurant. We decided to stay thinking we would get used to the odor, but never really did. If you visit this place, and it smells fine, the food is good and the employees are friendly. But I would not recommend it if you're looking for a more lively place.

If you're coming here from the Mission Gorge Tio Leo's---don't. There's no comparison. Even the chips and salsa are garbage compared to the now, long gone Mission Gorge location. The interior of the place has mad 80s vibes like some place Tony Montana might go to for Mexican food. All in all, it's a decent joint I guess.

Service is nice and courteous, the place look nice and clean. Food it doesn't taste like a mexican dish at all. It taste like out of the can food. Sorry, having mexican background I do not recommend as an authentic mexican food.

I have been going to the different Tio Leo's for well over 40 years, and have loved it, especially the chips and salsa. The food last light was a bit off, not a lot, and it seemed noisier than usual. The big surprise, was that my wife and daughter, who are both vegetarian, were ordering their usual veggie bowl and veggie burrito, from the vegetarian section of the menu. The waitress asked if they were really vegetarians, and they said yes. She said that the rice was not vegetarian (chicken broth), even though it was under the vegetarian section. We asked how that had been the case, and we were told it always was. They have been serving and advertising non-vegetarian meals, to customers as vegetarian meals, presumably for decades, and they still do it even though they know it. That is unforgivable.

Jon Goldstein

This place has declined from past years but luckily Sandra or Sandy (beach) totally made up for everything. Salsa not what it was. Lot of up charges on things and whatever. Sandy made up for it in old school hospitality.

This is a place we have passed a hundred times. We were looking for a Chevy's type place. The food was just covered with cheese and uninteresting. They did have a band playing and we would have loved that but it cost I think 20 bucks more to hear it. The decor is circa 1992. Service was very good.

We didn't eat. We went to have drinks at their bar. The place is really run down. Smelled like old pinesol. They really need to do some upgrades to the whole place. It used to be a really cool place to go have a bite or just to have drinks.

We used to go to the Tio Leo’s on Mission Gorge and loved the food. Since closing that location we decided to try the one on Napa Street. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will be going back, portions were smaller, they didn’t have any Diet Coke, and the place was so darn dark we saw people asking to be moved because they couldn’t read their menu ( this was lunchtime.). The place just felt depressing…

Really lousy service. Took 45 minutes to get our food and then the orders were wrong. They lost our leftovers and never came back to refill our drinks. The restaurant was fairly empty but the bar and outdoor patio were full. The parking lot was also full. We had to park in the florist parking lot.

It took a long time to be seated. It took a long time to take my order. It seemed like everyone else was taken care of before me as well. It took 30 minutes to bring out my food. I was never asked how I was doing. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was because the food was actually really good. I liked the guac and the and the salsa and chips were really good too. I had to immediately put my food in a to go box and pay as I had to go back to work so I'm sure everything would have been even better fresh. I'm very unhappy to leave such a low score. Had they have treated me like the others around me this could have been a 5 star.

Very strong smell of paint when we walked in. Extremely tired looking place. Food very average , I skipped the sloppy beans but was hungry enough to eat the rest. Disappointing underwhelming food that is so easy to cook at home….next time we will do just that

horrible and overpriced "Mexican" food. I don't know how the place stays in business...

We weren't greeted right away, no communication between staff, seats given away. Food portions too small for price, waitress forgot orders, drinks and napkins. Salsa was not good, chips seemed stale. Men's restroom is in the bar, so I had to take my kids through that environment. Waitress added over 100 dollars in charges that were not ours. To top it off no security outside and we were slightly harassed by a drunk in the parking lot.

This place is not only outdated and disgusting, but they charge SO MUCH for disgusting inedible food. No idea how they are still in business. In my opinion, you should take your money to literally anywhere else

Great live music on Friday 10/29/2021...However venue staff was overwhelmed with patron volume creating an unacceptable experience despite a very talented and entertaining band playing. Had Tio Leo's staff been better prepared to accommodate their customers with an appropriate number of employees or a more efficient manner in which to properly serve them the experience would have been enjoyable. Unfortunately after waiting more than one hour to be served one drink and the prospect of waiting an additional hour for our second cocktail we decided to leave the poorly managed venue...never to return.

San Diego has the best Mexican food in the country, so this restaurant is an embarrassment. We ordered fish tacos that resembled fish sticks with tons of lettuce to disguise it. In addition, the beans were watered down and looked like they came right from a can When we complained, they all said, "This is how it comes." To top it off, I ordered a double Jack and Coke, and they charged me $26, like they were a five-star restaurant instead of a one-star dive. Please stay away, and don’t waste your money there are much better selections within 2 mile radius

Food had no flavor what so ever I ordered the enchiladas and they were not good. Our waiter did not listen or write down our order when we were ordering causing him to bring out my order wrong! On top of that only came to the table once to ask how the food was. We had to ask for napkins! Salsa he said he would bring out which he never did. There was only 3 tables including ours at the time. 1 of the tables ours which was his. And the other 2 tables were another waitress working. The other tables and restaurant inside was empty. Our food took forever to come out.

I’m sorry but everyone saying that they had good food here is wrong. Either you’re white or you’re used to this type or service. The quantity and quality were exceptionally horrible. The meat was dry and flavorless, they forgot some of the food portions (guacamole, sour cream, etc). The music is way too loud. There was also little to no beans or rice, and lots of amount of pico de gallo. My parents ordered the fajitas and they didn’t like it either. It barely had any flavor unless you legitimately had to grab the pieces of steak and bell pepper and scrap it against the plate. The waiters were nice though, but that’s it. The only reason we came here to the first place was because the tio Leo’s near us closed, so we decided to come here with high expectations. But left disappointed. The one that closed gave exceptional food with large quantities that had you leaving with boxes.

I normally enjoy the restaurant, prices are somewhat reasonable usually. BUT, This visit they charged $4 for a dab of sour cream and $8 for a side of rice. Never paid that much before. They are gouging their customers and then the manager was super rude when I inquired about why I was being over charged.

Great.music but the food is horrible. It's unfortunate because they could really elevate with quality food. Everything else is great. Example: order the Carne asada tacos and 2 of 5 were raw. I like medium rear meet but they were raw with zero flavor.

The food is not worth the price. I have seen other places give way more food for cheaper prices. What they did give lacked flavor. It felt uncomfortable to ask for more salsa and napkins. If you want bang for your buck, this is not the place to go. As a Hispanic, when I saw no other Hispanic diners, I knew I had made a mistake.

I don't always post negative reviews, I try to find the good in every place. Unfortunately I drove 30 minutes out of my way because locations have been closing 😕. I have never had to wait 15 minutes to place an order, 4 servers past my wife and I in that span. I finally decided to leave . Not worth the drive and hassle 😒. I'm 53 I have been going to tio Leo's since I was 18 ,had my wedding rehearsal, countless anniversaries and birthdays. What a loss never again.

Suuuper expensive. $28 for a shrimp quesadilla. $9 for one taco. The tortilla chips were super good though. Definitely not worth the price tag.

Now I see why the restaurant was empty, the server was no where to be found, the food was below average, my taco was watery leaving the rest of my food soggy. This was my first and last time coming here. Think twice and save your money. Go to A place that has customers. It's a good indication

Joyful

First and Last Visit to This place on Saturday Eve, place is old, dark, dingy, sign is half burned out. Food is meh at best. FAJITA BURRITO is nothing but a large flour tortilla filled with a lot of onion and bell peppers, a few pieces of meat, a small side of guac, and a little side of pico. Not worth $14. Margarita is like drinking a slushy—very little, if any liquor. Service is slow, unfriendly, never returns to check if you got what you ordered, how it’s going, etc. Worst Mgmt. they could care less and only care about squeezing every penny out of you. They charge you to see a band that is outside and there’s no open tables, so you have to pay for the music that you can’t see or hear and sit inside a dingy, dark bar area with no music or even people and pay more money to eat avg food while getting no service and no entertainment that you paid for just to even get to the bar area. At the end the manager comes out to talk and give excuses and saying he’ll make it up next time. Right!? Why not make it right this time?! Terrible mgmt. Don’t recommend this place. Better places with live music and good service and atmosphere.