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El Compadre
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El Cajon

El Compadre

★★★★ 4.1 · 0 reseñas

At El Compadre, we're passionate about serving up authentic Mexican flavors that warm your heart and satisfy your taste buds. Our chef's specials are legendary, with breakfast burritos that pack a punch - chunky bacon and crispy tortillas make them a must-try. We also rave about...

El Compadre

Mexican · El Cajon

4.1 · 1,147 reviews Google
elcompadretacoshop.shop
Yelp 3.0 (300) TripAdvisor 3.8 (12)

About El Compadre

At El Compadre, we're passionate about serving up authentic Mexican flavors that warm your heart and satisfy your taste buds. Our chef's specials are legendary, with breakfast burritos that pack a punch - chunky bacon and crispy tortillas make them a must-try. We also rave about our rolled tacos, es...

At El Compadre, we're passionate about serving up authentic Mexican flavors that warm your heart and satisfy your taste buds. Our chef's specials are legendary, with breakfast burritos that pack a punch - chunky bacon and crispy tortillas make them a must-try. We also rave about our rolled tacos, especially those topped with creamy guacamole. Plus, our reasonable prices mean you can enjoy plenty of food for the value. Whether you're grabbing takeout to go or cozying up in one of our tables, we're always happy to serve - and at 24/7 hours, there's no rush!

What Customers Say About El Compadre

El Compadre is a 24-hour taco shop known for its large portions and breakfast burritos. While many praise the food, especially the rolled tacos with guacamole and carne asada burritos, some customers have reported inconsistent quality, small portions for the price, and cold food.

Popular Dishes

Beef Taco breakfast burritos rolled tacos California Burrito (5) carne asada burrito (5) carne asada fries nachos bean and cheese burrito

Best For

Quick Bite Late Night Locals

Tip: Call ahead to order and reduce wait times.

Features

🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Parking 🚗 Delivery Accessible 🌅 Breakfast 🍽️ Lunch 🌙 Dinner
🎯 Casual 🤫 Quiet 👨‍👩‍👧 Family

What to see nearby

Wells Park
A 776m

Wells Park

parque

View details
Bostonia Park
A 887m

Bostonia Park

parque

View details

Data from Wikidata

Explore the area around El Compadre

El Compadre is located in El Cajon, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.

Parks & Gardens

  • Wells Park (A 776m) — park in San Diego County, California, United States of America
  • Bostonia Park (A 887m) — park in San Diego County, California, United States of America

Data from Wikidata

Frequently asked questions about El Compadre

El Compadre is located at 595 N 2nd St, El Cajon, CA 92019, El Cajon.
Near El Compadre you can find points of interest such as Wells Park, Bostonia Park.
El Compadre offers mexican cuisine.
El Compadre has regular opening hours. Check their profile for updated schedules.
El Compadre offers the following services: dine-in, takeaway, delivery.
The most recommended dishes at El Compadre based on customer reviews are: Beef Taco, breakfast burritos, rolled tacos, California Burrito, carne asada burrito.
El Compadre is ideal for quick bites, late night, locals.
El Compadre is a 24-hour taco shop known for its large portions and breakfast burritos. While many praise the food, especially the rolled tacos with guacamole and carne asada burritos, some customers have reported inconsistent quality, small portions for the price, and cold food.
Call ahead to order and reduce wait times.
1,147
Reviews

El Compadre El Cajon Reviews

4.1
1,147
5★
58%
4★
19%
3★
9%
2★
6%
1★
9%
Reviews (20)
Esmeralda Castro
Esmeralda Castro

Can beat the giant amazing breakfast burritos. The bacon is chunky and crispy. Live the rolled tacos with guacamole. Red salsa is spicy and deliciously fiery. Prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get . I like to call ahead and order, less wait time.

A. Franklyn
A. Franklyn

4.7⭐️ This place was my GO TO spot on the way home. The food is so good, and they do have a few tables, but it mostly just a normal San Diego taco shop, and you get it to go🤷🏾‍♀️ the food is very good Update! Back home after 6.5 years, this is still the spot! Food, amazing. Open 24hrs. Cannot ask for more.

Richard E. Gentry
Richard E. Gentry

Speaking as an El Compadre Virgin: I just pulled off the highway for a quick stop at the gas station across the street. I noticed this place and thought I'd try it out. Not knowing what to expect, at first glance at the menu, I thought it seemed a bit expensive, so I only ordered a Beef Taco and Beef Burrito. That came out to just over $11. I was expecting something just above maybe Taco Bell or Del Taco. Boy, was I wrong! The first clue was when he handed me the bag out of the Drive-Thru window. It was so heavy that I almost dropped it. But I only ordered a Burrito and a Taco, right? So I pulled into the parking lot to see what I really had. The second clue was the heavenly aroma that immediately overwhelmed the car. Then I opened the bag...Both items were Huge! And they were stuffed to the brim with the juiciest, most flavorful, shredded beef and all the extras. I was very, very (uh, did I say very) very surprised. It was soooooo good that I finished it all, right there in the parking lot. That's when I realized that it wasn't expensive at all. I got exactly, if not more than what I paid for! And had I ordered more (as I initially intended before checking the menu), I don't think I would have been able to finish it. Those two items were enough. And spoiler alert: If you're dressed nicely, you're gonna need to change your shirt after you're done. So if you're like me and just passing through town and decide to give El Compadre a try...I can confidently say, you will be so happy that you did!

BobbiJo
BobbiJo

This place has great good and big portions. Campadre's has outdoor seating, a drive-through, and free parking.

Ray
Ray

El Compadre Taco Shop is a solid spot, especially since it’s open 24 hours — clutch for those late-night cravings! The burritos are fire — packed with flavor and always hit the spot. The carne asada tacos are a bit on the smaller side, but they’re still tasty and satisfying. Prices are a little on the higher end, but honestly, the quality of the food makes it worth it. Definitely one of my go-to taco shops when everything else is closed or when I’m craving something legit. The place is on second street and oakdale.

Josue De La Sancha
Josue De La Sancha

Good carne asada burrito with pico de gallo on the side. Gracias por el lunch. I ate the burrito b4 the picture💚😎❤️. Came back today for a $14 California burrito. Burrito was pretty small. The potatoes are boiled in squares not French fries fyi. They forgot to cook my tortilla & the guacamole. Last two pictures is the left over tortilla 😓.

Ernesto Perez
Ernesto Perez

Food was average, service through drive through was average, nothing extra. Didn't seem very curteous or friendly. Might as well have been a robot. Atmosphere...really ?!! Feels like you could get mugged if it wasn't cause of the drive theough.

Blake Early
Blake Early

Got nachos and it cost about $18.50. that's not even what it costs downtown. Chicken very salty. The bottom layer of the nachos are all the crumbles from the bottom of the bag. I won't be going back. And I tried them one other time before maybe a month ago, I ordered a chicken California burrito with chipotle sauce. When I got home it started eating, I noticed that it was no Chipotle sauce. I called in and told the young lady who was working, all she said was "Oh." Then Dead silence 🤣 no offer to fix it or add it for free next time or anything, but I definitely paid for it. It's obvious that a lot of Mexican food places and San Diego know that they don't have to depends on customer service to get customers. O well 🤷🏿‍♂️ Okay so update : it's been a while, so I figured maybe I'll give them another shot. I tried to call in, but after waiting at the red light on 2nd Street for about 2 minutes, I figured, fine I'm close enough, no big deal. Even though I could clearly see from where I was, no one was in the drive-thru, no one was at the Flint counter up front. I asked what was in the surf and turf burrito and they said that two of the ingredients were tomatoes and Bell peppers. Not Pico de gallo, specifically tomatoes and bell peppers. So I wasn't interested in it. I decided to go for a California burrito because that's a San Diego staple, and it has the same recipe, you just have to get it right. I'll attach pictures of the slot that was inside of the tortilla. They put bell peppers and actual cubed potatoes in it. That's not what goes in California burritos. Everybody knows California burritos come with french fries. They always have! Related to not ask me if I wanted any hot sauce and took her a while to come to the window because she was talking to the other young lady working there. Overall, this place really doesn't care about its customer service or quality, won't be coming back

Elias Macias
Elias Macias

me and my girlfriend ordered cardne asada fries super expensive 22$ when it arrived it was cold, and the size is so small definitely not worth the price at all. It’s good food don’t get me wrong but you can pay that price at any other taco shop and get a regular serving for the family. My hands are really small by the way.

Ruby.
Ruby.

So I got roll tacos my first time here, they were extremely burnt in oil and really hard to chew on. I decided to get a California Burrito this time, it was very delicious BUT for the price maybe I would think about getting it again only because the burrito was on the smaller side. Also instead of fries they put actual potatoes as well as Pico de Gallo. My husband got a chile relleno burrito with carne asada which was gross. It had American cheese inside the chile, they add enchilada sauce which was greasy and they don't add avocado..

Cin Rose
Cin Rose

Usually these guys kill it on the burritos, but this last one was so ridiculously small. I felt scammed. I didn’t go back cause I don’t like confrontation. I could wrap the tortilla around the little bit of meat a couple of times. 😞 I’ll include pictures of my “Carne Asada burrito” for about $10(?). That’s not worth $10 to me.

Ms. Michelle Meier
Ms. Michelle Meier

The food Sucked! We spent $50 on food that was horrible! It wasn’t hot! We live maybe 5mins away and when we got home the burritos and the combination plate were cold! I only gave one star because they refunded us our money back! The soda tasted awful! Their machine needs to be cleaned! Sorry but I will Never eat there again! Praying I dnt get food poisoning!

charlie alegria
charlie alegria

Not sure what happened but this went from being my go to Mexican place for decades to absolute trash. It's been getting worse and worse over time poorly seasoned meat, bad smelling cheese then today i ordered two carne asada burritos with no Pico and i got two onion burritos with a bit of meat in it and a diet coke for almost 30 bucks. I'm sad they suck now but happy i live were i do; we have a hundred Mexican places in a few miles of them that are just as good. I tried to call them to give them the opportunity to fix their mistake but the only number they have is a fax. Kinda 1900s.

ResultantBoar
ResultantBoar

Ordered on DoorDash. Arrival time kept postponing by 10 minutes every 5 minutes. Was originally 2:20am, is now 3am. Pissed off, need refund. Idk if it is an issue with DoorDash or El Compadre themselves but something is wrong. We ordered ahead on purpose and have now been waiting for around an hour.

Braxton F
Braxton F

They don't put guacamole or sour cream in their california burritos anymore. Rip off never coming back been going to this taco shop for 4 years. Guess they finally gave in and became cheap. Burrito is bland and dry, and still $14 no guacamole or sour cream is crazy. Silvas taco shop is right down the street anyway.

Zane Shakinah
Zane Shakinah

I believe I have this place before - years ago I would have remembered if it was bad, but I ordered it today I got a carne asada burrito. For $15, it was pretty small. It was disgusting and I love food. I didn't finish it. The meat was like bland or like spoiled it had a spoiled smell the pico was just like onions, I won't be going there again. I'm sorry, I don't think they need to be in business.

Eric
Eric

$18 for carne asada fries, $16 for frozen sysco rolled tacos that were hard as a rock and had no meat in them and $5 fountain drink should be illegal. For $50 i threw my food away and now have a stomach ache...NEVER AGAIN

Joseph A Rojas
Joseph A Rojas

Payed for sour cream in my Cali burrito and did not get it. French fries are boiled square potatoes. Food needed flavor,or salt. Total paid $16.08 Cali burrito with bean's and sour cream. I do not recommend it for the price

yolanda lopez
yolanda lopez

Tell me if this is a beans and cheese burrito ? It's not because it is only cheese. I pay a lot for 2 of this , but I definitely do NOT recommend buying food from here.. I should check the reviews next time the reviews, before I buy from places like this.. don't buy food from here....

Me mysel and I
Me mysel and I

VALERIOS TACO SHOP… is just right down the street and their food blows Compadre out of the water. My kid took one bite of the bean and cheese burrito and walked away. Horrible quality lately. $16 for a bean and cheese and a mixed burrito. 👎 My last few visits have been slightly under par, not sure what’s different...stopped in and got a bean and cheese and a mixed burrito. Unfortunately the beans have absolutely no flavor and there’s literally one bite of meat in my mixed burrito. The girl working here says they don’t do points anymore for loyalty rewards. I won’t be back.

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About El Compadre

How to get there

595 N 2nd St, El Cajon, CA 92019

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El Compadre
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Highlights

Good Rating
4.1/5 stars
💬
Many Reviews
1147 reviews
💰
Budget Friendly
Price level
👨‍🍳
mexican
Cuisine type

Services

🥞 Breakfast
🍽️ Lunch
🍾 Dinner
🍰 Desserts
🥡 Takeout
🚚 Delivery
🍴 Dine-in

Dining Options

🍽️ Dine In
🥡 Takeout
🚚 Delivery

Restaurant Info

🕐 Hours Today
Open 24 hours
Rating
4.1/5
💬 Reviews
1,147
💰 Price Level
$
⏱️ Typical Visit
People typically spend 10 min here
📞 Phone
+1 619-588-4816
🌐 Website
elcompadretacoshop.shop
📋 Menu
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Amenities

🅿️ Parking
🌿 Outdoor Seating
Wheelchair Accessible
💳 Credit Cards
📱 Mobile Payments
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The Neighborhood

Location

595 N 2nd St, El Cajon, CA 92019

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Wells Park

park in San Diego County, California, United States of America

A 776m
Bostonia Park

park in San Diego County, California, United States of America

A 887m
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