Poncho's Mexican Food

If you're looking for a place that serves authentic Mexican breakfast, look no further! This restaurant is a hidden gem. The menudo was rich and flavorful, and the traditional huevos rancheros were cooked to perfection. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was top-notch. Highly recommend for anyone craving a true taste of Mexico!"

Best Mexican food place in town ! The food is made with love and taste so fresh . The worker is very nice and the cook is fast . Great experience overall , will be coming here often ! Wish I took a better picture but it was too good to wait. Also the female worker does a great job keeping the place clean .!

This place has great food that hits that sweet spot when you want something quick and yummy! Definitely recommended

Awesome food. Especially the tacos (on taco tues of course) We ordered 15 fish tacos ... ($1.50 each taco) And that was an awesome dinner for the four of us! What a time to be alive in this awesome world with fish tacos available (2miles away!) Life is good.

Food is always great! Staff is helpful and pleasant. They have a large offering on the menu for a taco shop. They try new items every now and then as a special. Large selection for "Taco Tuesday". This is my local go to spot for years.

Saul Bejarano Jr.

Came back to El Cajon from Texas and was craving some CA Mexican food. I tried Ponchos and loved the food. I had the Surf and Turf burrito and the wife had potato rolled tacos. The food was good and hit that spot that only CA Mexican food can.

Rudy Rubio

If you're looking for a place that serves authentic Mexican breakfast, look no further! This restaurant is a hidden gem. The menudo was rich and flavorful, and the traditional huevos rancheros were cooked to perfection. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was top-notch. Highly recommend for anyone craving a true taste of Mexico!"

Erika “Sipeish” Sipe

This place has great food that hits that sweet spot when you want something quick and yummy! Definitely recommended

Farah Kaii

Best Mexican food place in town ! The food is made with love and taste so fresh . The worker is very nice and the cook is fast . Great experience overall , will be coming here often ! Wish I took a better picture but it was too good to wait. Also the female worker does a great job keeping the place clean .!

Bradley Kay

Awesome food. Especially the tacos (on taco tues of course) We ordered 15 fish tacos ... ($1.50 each taco) And that was an awesome dinner for the four of us! What a time to be alive in this awesome world with fish tacos available (2miles away!) Life is good.

Jarred StJohn

Food is always great! Staff is helpful and pleasant. They have a large offering on the menu for a taco shop. They try new items every now and then as a special. Large selection for "Taco Tuesday". This is my local go to spot for years.

Great food, friendly service, good music always playing.

My wife and I are regulars here for their taco Tuesday specials. Our favorites are the fish, cabeza, and al pastor which are just phenomenally delicious. One time, i brought my phone family, a total of 9 of us and we tried a variety of other things besides just tacos, like the goat soup. We liked it so much we order more. All my experiences here have been dine in, and they have never missed a beat. Also, i love places with self serve salsa bars. This place ticks all the boxes!!

I had a shredded beef taco, I haven't had a good taco in a long time. It was very tasty, just like it should be. Thank you for a nice lunch. Great job!

Went to the opening under new management and the food and service was outstanding! They have redone the inside and out and it's inviting and clean inside! Highly recommend! The San Diego Burrito felt like it weighed 5lbs and the ingredients were quality. The salsa selection was tasty and fresh. Everything was delicious! Will certainly be a regular!

We have been coming here for 5 years on way on our trips to San diego and it has always been the best service and food , we always get the surf and turf burro , came here today and love the remodel and staff were very kind !!!

Homegirl

I had a shredded beef taco, I haven't had a good taco in a long time. It was very tasty, just like it should be. Thank you for a nice lunch. Great job!

Steve Recendez

Great food, friendly service, good music always playing.

Ronica Martinez

We have been coming here for 5 years on way on our trips to San diego and it has always been the best service and food , we always get the surf and turf burro , came here today and love the remodel and staff were very kind !!!

Beau

Went to the opening under new management and the food and service was outstanding! They have redone the inside and out and it's inviting and clean inside! Highly recommend! The San Diego Burrito felt like it weighed 5lbs and the ingredients were quality. The salsa selection was tasty and fresh. Everything was delicious! Will certainly be a regular!

Lin Yar

My wife and I are regulars here for their taco Tuesday specials. Our favorites are the fish, cabeza, and al pastor which are just phenomenally delicious. One time, i brought my phone family, a total of 9 of us and we tried a variety of other things besides just tacos, like the goat soup. We liked it so much we order more. All my experiences here have been dine in, and they have never missed a beat. Also, i love places with self serve salsa bars. This place ticks all the boxes!!

Really good Mexican food and a lot of choices.

This place has decent food, reasonable prices, 4 tvs, a few video games, and 3 taps and a selection of beer bottles. My quesadilla did not come with any lettice, guacamole, or tomatoes, but was still decent. U would eat here again if I am I the neigh irhood, but probably won't make any special trips here.

Don't be discouraged by other posts. This is a family restaurant. The cashiers are getting better training. If you have a problem don't go to the cashier ask for Omar. There is always room for improvement and this restaurant deserves local support. We are all human and mistakes are not failure but an opportunity for learning.

Been here a few times for the carne asada fries and was very pleased. Went there last night to try the California burrito and was very disappointed. This is the first California burrito I have ever had that I didn't liked. I didn't even know it was possible. The meat was bland, the pico made everything (including the fries) soggy, the cheese wasn't melted. I was shocked... Despite that burrito, I give this place 4 stars because the other food I've had there has been good and it's a nice restaurant (especially at night).

The food was AMAZING, i got the 7 mares soup, and it was delicious. The service was ok. They were friendly, but it took a while to get my order. The only thing I didn't like was that it was really hot in there with no AC so it made it really uncomfortable to be inside.

We have been going to Ponchos for about 8 years now and we have always loved their food but ever since they recently went under new management the food has changed and their carne asada has always been amazing but recently it’s like shredded or minced. And the flavoring isn’t that great anymore. I really hope you guys bring back the way you use to cook it in nice chunks like carne asada should be. Please!! They have great service always

Lace Ruckman

We have been going to Ponchos for about 8 years now and we have always loved their food but ever since they recently went under new management the food has changed and their carne asada has always been amazing but recently it’s like shredded or minced. And the flavoring isn’t that great anymore. I really hope you guys bring back the way you use to cook it in nice chunks like carne asada should be. Please!! They have great service always

Krystal Gomez

The food was AMAZING, i got the 7 mares soup, and it was delicious. The service was ok. They were friendly, but it took a while to get my order. The only thing I didn't like was that it was really hot in there with no AC so it made it really uncomfortable to be inside.

Food is decent, typical SoCal taco shop. They are one of the few that offers two different guacs, Mexican and American. The American includes sour cream/crema. It's actually kinda good, especially on their rolled tacos. The few negatives are the prices are higher than other places, although not too bad. And they seem to be much more accommodating and service oriented towards Hispanics. I've actually been in two times and essentially ignored, while Spanish speakers were welcomed and acknowledged immediately. Left a bad feeling in my chest, and I flat out refuse to go back.

This just barely makes the cut for 3 stars, making it a very average taco shop. The atmosphere is pretty quiet, staff is just ok, nothing to mention. The menu is not that extensive, but there is seafood and some caldos. No drive-thru. I got the chilaquiles rojos...it was just alright...the sauce was a little bit spicy. The beans were not that flavored, and the rice was just okay but had some spiciness to it.

Another one of my favorite places that has just become too expensive to go to. The Campechana is 2/3 the size it used to be and is now $20. Sad to say that my favorite Mexican food place is just too much money for me to go back. Given how busy this place was when I went and how busy it used to be it appears that I'm not the only one that thinks this

The food was ok. The service was good. The restaurant and bathroom were clean.

Precious

The food was ok. The service was good. The restaurant and bathroom were clean.

The food is good. The staff isn't very professional. My cashier answered his cell phone while in the middle of my order. The wait is long even if all you order is 1 side of beans and it's $15 for 32oz of refried beans...

Liana Perlingiero

The food is good. The staff isn't very professional. My cashier answered his cell phone while in the middle of my order. The wait is long even if all you order is 1 side of beans and it's $15 for 32oz of refried beans...

Expensive! $9 for a carne asada burrito. Portion was large but not good! Carne asada is supposed to be marinated but tasted very plain. No seasoning at all! And the cook doesnt wrap your food up. The cashier does! Thats two hands on your food before it gets to you! Im picky about germs. None of them wore gloves. She wrapped up my burrito after touching the cash register and whatever else was behind the counter! Yuck. Not clean enough for me.

Well for one thing... they got this big high def new menu display ...and lo and behold prices went WAY WAY up. This place is now probably one of the highest priced 'mexican' food places in the county. I wonder if they changed ownership... the food is NOT fresh... it all taste like something directly out of the back of a Sysco truck. This place use to rock quality wise... now it is expensive junk . Sez Me.

The counter staff have consistently shown a bad attitude and the cooks give intimidating looks from the kitchen. The food is priced substantially higher than comparable local taco shops and doesn't warrant such cost since its inconsistent. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's outright unacceptable and the staff have a tendency to argue instead of fixing the problem or issuing a refund.

I ordered more than $50 in food: Carne asada burrito, carne asada fries, 5 roll tacos,a 2 sopes combination plus 2 additional sopes. I went tonight 5/14/2022 around 8:30 pm, dinner almost empty, 3 customers were sitting plus one intoxicated gentleman ordering food and flirting with the cashier; when she gave me my order she offered sauces I went to check them and I noticed the containers were almost empty an the sauces quality was poor, when I told the cashier about the sauces condition her reply was "I know". When I got home and my family was ready to eat we notice the 2 sopes combo was missing the beans and rice, the burrito was almost cold. The customer service and the food quality are really poor, so this is the last time after more than 15 years I go there!

Quality n Quanity of their food has gone downhill, while their prices skyrocket! Must need help paying for their remodel.

What Mexican food place sends a delivery order of over $45 dollars, not including tip and fees, without even ONE HOT SAUCE??? I didn't think I had to ask when I ordered MEXICAN FOOD on line. Would it kill them to add at least 1 container per dish to the bag? What can that cost $0.01? I called to mention this and got some run around from a little girl who knows NOTHING about customer service. She Told Me I should ask next time. No apology at all, no offer to make it right. Then the next thing... I ordered the Chicken Enchilada combination. (combination meaning "served with rice and beans". ) as stated in the menu. I didn't receive any rice and beans. When I told her this, she told me I DIDN'T order the combination plate. Excuse Me??? Well, that's what my order says I ordered and that's what I paid for!! Again, no acknowledgment that they screwed up and no offer to make things right. I've worked in customer service my whole life (and that's awhile) and this is NOT the way you treat your customers if you want to keep them as customers. YOU never argue with your customers, especially when it is you that is wrong! Very unfortunate because the food was pretty good. We will not be back. I can't stand being treated with disrespect by some immature little child who can't admit that they might have made an error. If this business cares about their customers, I suggest you put someone on the phone that can communicate with your customers and make them feel like they want to come back and that they are being treated fairly and that they are appreciated. It costs way too much to order out now days, and on the rare times we can afford to, I don't expect to get an argument when I bring up the fact that the business made an error in my order. The cost of a few containers of hot sauce and some words of apology would do wonders at increasing your customer base.

I used to go here with my dad when i was a kid. 10+ years go by and today i decided to visit to get some carne asada fries. First time back in that long and they managed to mess up not once but two times with my whole order. Once i got home i saw i was missing the whole burrito i ordered and instead of giving me the carne asada fries they gave me carne asada nachos. I had such high hopes after not coming here after so long. This whole situation solidified idea no to never come back again. LOL my god smh

This place is beautiful, sadly I ordered carne asada fries and quesadilla with carne .. the carne asada fries were mid but the worst part is they charge you 16 DOLLARS and it barely HAD any meat ! You know how frustrating that is smh.. never going here ! At least never gonna get their carne asada fries !

Hassan Ali

This place is beautiful, sadly I ordered carne asada fries and quesadilla with carne .. the carne asada fries were mid but the worst part is they charge you 16 DOLLARS and it barely HAD any meat ! You know how frustrating that is smh.. never going here ! At least never gonna get their carne asada fries !

Broji Joji

I used to go here with my dad when i was a kid. 10+ years go by and today i decided to visit to get some carne asada fries. First time back in that long and they managed to mess up not once but two times with my whole order. Once i got home i saw i was missing the whole burrito i ordered and instead of giving me the carne asada fries they gave me carne asada nachos. I had such high hopes after not coming here after so long. This whole situation solidified idea no to never come back again. LOL my god smh

Christine Hill

What Mexican food place sends a delivery order of over $45 dollars, not including tip and fees, without even ONE HOT SAUCE??? I didn't think I had to ask when I ordered MEXICAN FOOD on line. Would it kill them to add at least 1 container per dish to the bag? What can that cost $0.01? I called to mention this and got some run around from a little girl who knows NOTHING about customer service. She Told Me I should ask next time. No apology at all, no offer to make it right. Then the next thing... I ordered the Chicken Enchilada combination. (combination meaning "served with rice and beans". ) as stated in the menu. I didn't receive any rice and beans. When I told her this, she told me I DIDN'T order the combination plate. Excuse Me??? Well, that's what my order says I ordered and that's what I paid for!! Again, no acknowledgment that they screwed up and no offer to make things right. I've worked in customer service my whole life (and that's awhile) and this is NOT the way you treat your customers if you want to keep them as customers. YOU never argue with your customers, especially when it is you that is wrong! Very unfortunate because the food was pretty good. We will not be back. I can't stand being treated with disrespect by some immature little child who can't admit that they might have made an error. If this business cares about their customers, I suggest you put someone on the phone that can communicate with your customers and make them feel like they want to come back and that they are being treated fairly and that they are appreciated. It costs way too much to order out now days, and on the rare times we can afford to, I don't expect to get an argument when I bring up the fact that the business made an error in my order. The cost of a few containers of hot sauce and some words of apology would do wonders at increasing your customer base.

Only reason why I gave it a star is so I can comment. This place has the worse customer service. Took long enough to get noticed. Taco Tuesday, what a joke! Since the cashier took a long time to take my order ( even though i was right in front of the register) when I asked what kind of tacos were the Taco Tuesday all she did was go to the easle so I could read it. Tacos dont come with guacamole just plain, cilantro and onion. Meat had no flavor (carne asada, cabeza) the fish was all mooshy! Worse experience Taco Tuesday ever! Ohh besides not acknowledging me the cashier wasnt even friendly or smiled. When given the cash back she didnt even counted the change back or said anything!!

Have tried it three times and each time my order has been incorrect. It would be good for business if they paid as close attention to we anglos as they do those who speak fluent Spanish. Three strikes no return for me.

Worse taco shop in El Cajon. They always mess up our order and are defensive when we call them back. We ordered our food and we asked them if everything was was there. They assured us it was. When we got home not only did they mess up our order but they didn’t include the items we asked for. Mind you, we were there when they first open so they weren’t busy. Super expensive and horrible experience. DON’T GO here. They used to be good and I don’t know what’s changed. Go to the taco shop located by big lots (down the street), they have better service. This place is no longer worth it. At the very least don’t let them tie your bag and double check EVERYTHING.

Oh my! I’m guessing this location is under new management with new staff. The food is awful. Items that were my go-to favorites are now unrecognizable. Messed up orders, mushy ingredients and terrible substitutions in order to save money while still way over charging. Restaurants thrive or die based on consistency. After 13 years, I’m looking for a new favorite place for super yummy, authentic Mexican food.

Ordered a burrito, confirmed what was on it and only got the main ingredient, no cheese, beens or hasbrowns as shown on the menu. Asked to fix it and she said that is how it comes.

They use old oil. Fries in the Cali burrito are soggy and taste like old used cooking oil. Burritos have very little meat. Tuesday Tacos are tinier than tiny. Don't be fooled. Even Rubio gives you a bigger portion SMH. They don't put effort in the food. At least they have a good salsa bar and TV with music videos.

If I could give this no stars I would. I will preface my review with stating that I do understand that the cost of Carne asada has gone up due to Covid and the inability to get the meat as easily. That being said.. I ordered a Carne Asada burrito $11.00 (it comes with guac and salsa) and I added cheese and sour cream which is an outrageous $2.50 each making this burrito $16.00. I also ordered a Bean and cheese burrito $6.75 with extra cheese again $2.50 extra making this burrito $9.25. Now home. I opened this $16.00 burrito and it was cold meat with sour cream only. The bean and cheese was opened today so I didn't know the details on this until the following day. This had all bean's with a blob of cheese in the center. There was no extra anything. I got home from work and called to let them know. I normally would not make a huge deal but for these prices and nothing was right I was going to have them redone. I first spoke of the CA burrito. Her response was not very friendly. I was not rude just simply stated what was wrong with the item she then stated so what was wrong with the other one and I explained that one. She was going to replace them she just needed the rcpt. I said can my son pick them up and should i send my phone with him as i took pics of the burrito. She said yes my son can pick up and no to the phone. She only replaced the bean and cheese and kept the rcpt. This is the worst experience I have had at any "fast food" establishment with restaurant prices. I will be telling as many people as possible. I don't want anyone I know to be treated as rude and disrespectful as I was. The money patrons spend at these establishments is not payment to be abused or for cold food and not the way it was ordered. We work very hard for our money. It's about time these places start realizing that over priced under quality food amd bad customer service is something that needs to be more harshly handled I for one am tired of people asking for more money only to put out mediocre work at best.

I can not believe the service that I just got tonight. I have been coming here since I was in high school and never have I ever had this experience I’ve had. I tried to order my usual #7 combination plate which is a chimichanga but I ALWAYS order it with carne asada meat instead. The girl who answered the phone told me “we don’t do that here.” Me confused, I said, “yes, I’ve always ordered this plate.” She then comes back to tell me “we can but with an additional charge of 4.99.” It’s a deep fried burrito, that’s it!! I have never been charged an additional price for my food and I get it all the time, for years!! What makes Sunday any different. She was very rude and would not give me her name and said “do you want the order or not.” I have never complained before about my service but this was uncalled for!!

I just spent $40 on my dinner and didn’t even eat anything. The quesadillas were 100% grease and couldn’t even be touched without falling apart everywhere, I had one bite and I could only taste and feel grease. The churros didn’t come with the Mexican caramel sauce I ordered and were plain. I’m eating a bowl of cereal for dinner now thank you.

I got a shrimp burrito and it was just rice and like three shrimp in the whole thing. TVs were blasting. And why are there no trash cans?? Very weird. Probably not coming back.

Overpriced garbage. Add 2$ for cheese to a carne asada burrito for 16.00. Even though there’s other burritos on the menu that have cheese and other items for 13.50 how does that make any sense not to mention there wasn’t even any cheese in it at least that I could tell. Won’t be coming back here. Burrito wasn’t even good ate less then half.

Sandal Randal

Overpriced garbage. Add 2$ for cheese to a carne asada burrito for 16.00. Even though there’s other burritos on the menu that have cheese and other items for 13.50 how does that make any sense not to mention there wasn’t even any cheese in it at least that I could tell. Won’t be coming back here. Burrito wasn’t even good ate less then half.

Malloreigh Miller

I got a shrimp burrito and it was just rice and like three shrimp in the whole thing. TVs were blasting. And why are there no trash cans?? Very weird. Probably not coming back.