El Borrego

Delicious! And the family that runs it are the nicest people! They have a lovely back area and have live music Thursdays. I have wanted to try them for years, and I'll back much quicker. Highly recommended!

We came to this place for the chilaquiles and we’re not disappointed😋 they’re so good! Just the right portions. The natural juice was delicious, you must try them🤓🧃

The lamb. The guacamole. The squash blossom quesadilla. The beer on tap. It was all delicious, the staff and owners are extremely friendly and care deeply about the community. While lamb is their namesake, they’ve done an excellent job branching out to support vegetarian/vegan diners, and the owner even mentioned 30% of their customers are vegan! I highly recommend trying El Borrego if you haven’t.

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in San Diego. Everything I've tried is delicious. if you come for breakfast, be sure to get the unique fresh orange juice.

We really like the variety of food, vegetarian friendly and meat friendly. The staff was attentive and nice, and I felt like the food was cooked with love in the style like Home Cooking. It was fresh and well seaaoned. Will definitely come back here again, great to support our local businesses!

Love this little restaurant. The food is wonderful. The service is warm, welcoming, efficient and gracious. We enjoyed their live music events Thursday nights on the outdoor patio. You have to give the place a try.

Un be leave a ble!!!! This place is incredible. I tell all my friends but forgot to leave a review! Every single item on the menu is fresh, delicious and home made. Nothing is over looked. Even the chips are fresh and delicious everything. They're lamb by the lb is my absolute favorite! Comes worth tortillas, salsa, cilantro, onions, consome and that incredibly seasoned tender lamb. Everything you order in this place is incredible.

Nice people. Very welcoming. It's a clean spot with fresh water and good seats. The decor is satisfying to look at.

This is a great local spot. They have a great selection of Mexican food. The prices are fair and the food is fresh. You can't go wrong with their aqua frescas.

If you appreciate the taste of good, authentic mole try the mole chilaquiles! I opted for lamb and two eggs over easy. The mexican coffee, cafe de la hoya, was delicious and fresh. Greeted with big smiles, clean, excellent customer service! They serve fresh juice, orange, grapefruit and carrot. I will visit again soon.

@ElBorrego having a blast!! Ordered today Nachos with Borrego and Soyrizo and a Carrot/Orange juice on the side! Delicious. And the ambiance is lovely: calm and soothing :)

This place is truly a small hidden gem amongst us, cozy atmosphere, delicious food, and friendly customer service, it's a must stop at restaurant that will leave you full and with a smile.

Everything about this place you want at a restaurant, the owner comes and checks on you and the food. The outdoor seating is beautifully designed. The food is to die for. This is the only place I’ve ever cared to review, stop what you’re doing and go now.

THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN SAN DIEGO! I’ve been coming to El Borrego for years and the food is always beyond delicious. This Family-run restaurant uses quality ingredients, which enhances their authentic flavors. Plus they give the best service in town! Their Mixiote is amazing, the green pozole and mole chilaquiles are incredible, huitlacoche quesadillas yummm. Café de la hoya is the best! Thank you all at @el_borrego_restaurant for the best Mexican experience in town. Don’t forget to check out the cute patio in the back.

Ordered the cochinita sope and the borrego 1/2 lb as well as Tamarindo aqua fresco. The amount of food was worth the price, and the borrego was extremely tender and flavorful. They gave me salsa verde and Rojo on the side. Both sauces were delicious, although the red had a good kick to it. The agua fresca tasted delicious but a bit sweet for my liking so I watered it down.

Wonderful brekkie experience! I was on a mission, thanks to my sister who recommended the Mixjote de Borrego! The staff was so kind and friendly, and the marinated lamb was outstanding! I appreciated that I was given the entire bottles of sauces to use during my meal 😋 I can't wait to visit again on my next trip to SD.

The mole was sweet and a little spicy. The green had a good roasted taste. The chips were perfectly crunchy in the sauce. Both chilaquiles were very delicious.

Little hidden restaurant, so cute inside. I enjoyed the patio setting with my husband and son. The food was delicious and I was stuffed! I especially enjoyed the guacamole with chips ( extra $)! We ordered 2 of them. My husband got the Lamb plate for $12.99. I got my favorite combo of chicken and cheese enchilada with beans and rice. My son ordered the Lamb burrito. I was very happy, satisfied and couldn't finish it all. Street parking only.

Family owned mexican food restaurant. Food is great and authentic with good portions. Pricing is fair. Parking can be a lil hard to find.

Awesome mom and pop restaurant. Beautifully decorated and food is great! I ordered the lamb special which comes with a lamb rolled taco, lamb taco, and quesadilla with rice and cactus

This family owned spot is my go to breakfast place, and in the dozen+ times I’ve been here over the years I’ve never been disappointed. Everything on their menu is fresh and delicious, with their huevos rancheros being my personal favorite. Their ‘Secret Garden’ patio is beautiful and the perfect spot to host an event or just enjoy a meal.

Really special gem of a place. Everything I’ve tried here is delicious. Service is phenomenal, Rosario is such a warm and kind person, joined by her mom (and all the kitchen staff!), they are an amazing team. Get the lamb tacos with consommé and make sure to try their sopes too.

Muy rico todo! Si regresamos! This place recently went viral and has a line out the door! Delicious barbacoa de borrego lives up to the hype. This is a home cooked meal made by a real Mexican grandmother. If there is a wait due to the instagram foodies, please stay humble. Do not rush your abuelita, thats RUDE. The food is worth the wait. Fall off the bone tender, and ricos chilaquiles. Didn't have time to take a picture of the before, only the after. Enjoy!

I celebrated my birthday with 20 friends on the patio of El Borrego today and it was such a wonderful experience! I'm so grateful to Rodnia, the owner, and her staff, for being so attentive and handling it all so well. They sectioned off half of the outdoor patio and set it up with beautiful decor, as well as umbrellas for shade and a big fan as it was 80 degrees out. At the bar, guests could choose from house made Horchata, Agua de Jamaica, beer and Sangria. I heard so many compliments about the venue and especially on the food! We served a self-serve buffet of Cochinita Pibil and Lamb Barbacoa with tortillas, guacamole and garnishes, plus quesadillas made with squash blossoms and rajas that they brought out hot as they were ready. The whole afternoon felt easy and relaxed and I got to enjoy spending time with friends rather than being stressed about hosting. The mellow music they played set a nice atmosphere for a Sunday afternoon. This restaurant is such a neighborhood gem! If you're looking for a space to accommodate a crowd and excellent food and service, I highly recommend El Borrego!

Cute outdoor area laptop/work friendly with shade. Both vegetarian and meat (lamb and birria) options. Squash blossom, rajas, huitlacoche (fermented corn) quesadillas and sopes. Delicious detox drinks, tamarindo. Mother and daughter duo Latina-owned small business jewel. Beers on tap

First time coming to this place. Parking is a chore, but if you're patient and manage to snag a spot it will be worth it. Fast and friendly service. Good portions for the price and delicious food. Huevos rancheros and mole chilaquiles remind me of home. Green and red salsa has great flavor too. Tortillas are warm and soft. Can't wait to come back and try other menu options.

This place is fabulous - family owned and so friendly with incredibly fresh food and a lovely patio out back, big enough for a small wedding reception. It doesn’t get any better.

We’ve been coming for years and the food/service is always amazing. The flavors are delicious and the atmosphere both indoors and outdoors in their patio really give an authentic Mexican feel.

Had the mixiote de borrego. The taste is legit. It reminded me of those days growing up in Mexico going to the mercado sobre ruedas. Give them a try. If you order mixiote, remember to shred the meat with the fork before making a taco. Good eats!

Glinda

Ordered the cochinita sope and the borrego 1/2 lb as well as Tamarindo aqua fresco. The amount of food was worth the price, and the borrego was extremely tender and flavorful. They gave me salsa verde and Rojo on the side. Both sauces were delicious, although the red had a good kick to it. The agua fresca tasted delicious but a bit sweet for my liking so I watered it down.

Coryne S Suzuki

Wonderful brekkie experience! I was on a mission, thanks to my sister who recommended the Mixjote de Borrego! The staff was so kind and friendly, and the marinated lamb was outstanding! I appreciated that I was given the entire bottles of sauces to use during my meal 😋 I can't wait to visit again on my next trip to SD.

Ruth P

Little hidden restaurant, so cute inside. I enjoyed the patio setting with my husband and son. The food was delicious and I was stuffed! I especially enjoyed the guacamole with chips ( extra $)! We ordered 2 of them. My husband got the Lamb plate for $12.99. I got my favorite combo of chicken and cheese enchilada with beans and rice. My son ordered the Lamb burrito. I was very happy, satisfied and couldn't finish it all. Street parking only.

Cristian Molina

The mole was sweet and a little spicy. The green had a good roasted taste. The chips were perfectly crunchy in the sauce. Both chilaquiles were very delicious.

Erik P

Family owned mexican food restaurant. Food is great and authentic with good portions. Pricing is fair. Parking can be a lil hard to find.

kenny Tran

Awesome mom and pop restaurant. Beautifully decorated and food is great! I ordered the lamb special which comes with a lamb rolled taco, lamb taco, and quesadilla with rice and cactus

Elizabeth Cooper

This family owned spot is my go to breakfast place, and in the dozen+ times I’ve been here over the years I’ve never been disappointed. Everything on their menu is fresh and delicious, with their huevos rancheros being my personal favorite. Their ‘Secret Garden’ patio is beautiful and the perfect spot to host an event or just enjoy a meal.

David Dobreski

Really special gem of a place. Everything I’ve tried here is delicious. Service is phenomenal, Rosario is such a warm and kind person, joined by her mom (and all the kitchen staff!), they are an amazing team. Get the lamb tacos with consommé and make sure to try their sopes too.

Axel Gonzalez

Muy rico todo! Si regresamos! This place recently went viral and has a line out the door! Delicious barbacoa de borrego lives up to the hype. This is a home cooked meal made by a real Mexican grandmother. If there is a wait due to the instagram foodies, please stay humble. Do not rush your abuelita, thats RUDE. The food is worth the wait. Fall off the bone tender, and ricos chilaquiles. Didn't have time to take a picture of the before, only the after. Enjoy!

Amanda Shelley

I celebrated my birthday with 20 friends on the patio of El Borrego today and it was such a wonderful experience! I'm so grateful to Rodnia, the owner, and her staff, for being so attentive and handling it all so well. They sectioned off half of the outdoor patio and set it up with beautiful decor, as well as umbrellas for shade and a big fan as it was 80 degrees out. At the bar, guests could choose from house made Horchata, Agua de Jamaica, beer and Sangria. I heard so many compliments about the venue and especially on the food! We served a self-serve buffet of Cochinita Pibil and Lamb Barbacoa with tortillas, guacamole and garnishes, plus quesadillas made with squash blossoms and rajas that they brought out hot as they were ready. The whole afternoon felt easy and relaxed and I got to enjoy spending time with friends rather than being stressed about hosting. The mellow music they played set a nice atmosphere for a Sunday afternoon. This restaurant is such a neighborhood gem! If you're looking for a space to accommodate a crowd and excellent food and service, I highly recommend El Borrego!

Crystal Doan Stephens

Cute outdoor area laptop/work friendly with shade. Both vegetarian and meat (lamb and birria) options. Squash blossom, rajas, huitlacoche (fermented corn) quesadillas and sopes. Delicious detox drinks, tamarindo. Mother and daughter duo Latina-owned small business jewel. Beers on tap

Gregg Ward

This place is fabulous - family owned and so friendly with incredibly fresh food and a lovely patio out back, big enough for a small wedding reception. It doesn’t get any better.

Ana Corona

First time coming to this place. Parking is a chore, but if you're patient and manage to snag a spot it will be worth it. Fast and friendly service. Good portions for the price and delicious food. Huevos rancheros and mole chilaquiles remind me of home. Green and red salsa has great flavor too. Tortillas are warm and soft. Can't wait to come back and try other menu options.

Carlos Amezcua

We’ve been coming for years and the food/service is always amazing. The flavors are delicious and the atmosphere both indoors and outdoors in their patio really give an authentic Mexican feel.

My son treated me to a wonderful lunch here yesterday. I had the cheese enchiladas with mole sauce, rice and beans. The food was so outrageously good that I have been thinking about it off and on all day. The service was so friendly.

Cin Or

My son treated me to a wonderful lunch here yesterday. I had the cheese enchiladas with mole sauce, rice and beans. The food was so outrageously good that I have been thinking about it off and on all day. The service was so friendly.

Jared Harman (JarAvMan)

The lamb. The guacamole. The squash blossom quesadilla. The beer on tap. It was all delicious, the staff and owners are extremely friendly and care deeply about the community. While lamb is their namesake, they’ve done an excellent job branching out to support vegetarian/vegan diners, and the owner even mentioned 30% of their customers are vegan! I highly recommend trying El Borrego if you haven’t.

Good food! We came here on a Sat morning and it was pretty much empty. I don't have all the pictures of the food that we ordered, but my chilaquiles was very good. They give you the option of red/green/mole sauce. I got the mole and my friend got the green. Both were very good. This chilaquiles recipe is one of the better ones I've had. I also got their carrot and ginger juice and it was very good. Affordable pricing. It doesn't look like much when you enter but they have lots of seating in the patio, where it is fresh, airy and spacious. Service was decent but you basically order everything you want at the counter and then find yourself a seat. Parking is street parking. I will come back for their chilaquiles again.

The place was very clean in appearance. The food was a little above average with good presentation. The chips and salsa were a bit of a disappointment because I was chips and pico like you get at most places; however, the 'salsa' is the same hot sauce they give you with your food... plus it was only a very small amount of chips. Main dish was tasty and came out very quickly (I was the only one in the restaurant). Very small menu... like, there isn't even tacos on the menu... kind of disappointed with the small menu and lack of options. Overall, the main dish was very good!

Pranjali Sharma

Good food! We came here on a Sat morning and it was pretty much empty. I don't have all the pictures of the food that we ordered, but my chilaquiles was very good. They give you the option of red/green/mole sauce. I got the mole and my friend got the green. Both were very good. This chilaquiles recipe is one of the better ones I've had. I also got their carrot and ginger juice and it was very good. Affordable pricing. It doesn't look like much when you enter but they have lots of seating in the patio, where it is fresh, airy and spacious. Service was decent but you basically order everything you want at the counter and then find yourself a seat. Parking is street parking. I will come back for their chilaquiles again.

Scott Surface

The place was very clean in appearance. The food was a little above average with good presentation. The chips and salsa were a bit of a disappointment because I was chips and pico like you get at most places; however, the 'salsa' is the same hot sauce they give you with your food... plus it was only a very small amount of chips. Main dish was tasty and came out very quickly (I was the only one in the restaurant). Very small menu... like, there isn't even tacos on the menu... kind of disappointed with the small menu and lack of options. Overall, the main dish was very good!

Lunch: lamb special, Taluca burrito with soyrizo, potato rolled taco -lamb special and potato taco were ok -toluca burrito was not yummy -outdoor patio was cute and spacious. -too many flies on our table!! It was not pleasant -friendly service -no parking -next time, id probably sit indoors to avoid flies and heat

I'm from Hidalgo where barbacoa is our staple dish so I'm a bit more picky. The barbacoa was mid and cochinita pibil was good but the portions are on the smaller size . There were a couple of confusions and mistakes on not only our order but others as well. The staff was nice though

No dogs allowed. They have a very nice outdoor patio but they had a recent incident where a dog bit a child and now no dogs are allowed. Very bummed because we had brought our dog and ended up ordering take out. Parking is not that easy here. No lot, it’s all street and there’s construction going on and lots of red curb. It’s one of those places where you order first then seat yourself. We got chilaquiles with green sauce ($10.99), added chicken ($4.25) and 1 egg (1.99). Also got huevos rancheros ($11.99). It was two over easy eggs over corn tortilla with 2 extra corn tortilla, rice and beans. I am not impressed with the home made chips. It’s not an airy crispy that I like, it has a dry hard crunch and it gets soggy in the sauce. However, their sauce is good. Thumbs down on the small portion and price. The huevos rancheros is meh. Over easy egg was more like well done. No yolk oozed out. Overall, food was average to my liking. Service and atmosphere was exceptional.

My Le

No dogs allowed. They have a very nice outdoor patio but they had a recent incident where a dog bit a child and now no dogs are allowed. Very bummed because we had brought our dog and ended up ordering take out. Parking is not that easy here. No lot, it’s all street and there’s construction going on and lots of red curb. It’s one of those places where you order first then seat yourself. We got chilaquiles with green sauce ($10.99), added chicken ($4.25) and 1 egg (1.99). Also got huevos rancheros ($11.99). It was two over easy eggs over corn tortilla with 2 extra corn tortilla, rice and beans. I am not impressed with the home made chips. It’s not an airy crispy that I like, it has a dry hard crunch and it gets soggy in the sauce. However, their sauce is good. Thumbs down on the small portion and price. The huevos rancheros is meh. Over easy egg was more like well done. No yolk oozed out. Overall, food was average to my liking. Service and atmosphere was exceptional.

Was good but the amount really? When you order by kilo (pounds) they give you bones part of the order 😒

Overpriced, Overhyped, and a Ripoff. Not to mention Dangerous! First off, their portion sizes are tiny compared to pretty much every Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. They serve your plates on shitty little one use plates that are small, limiting how much you get. It seriously felt like we should have gotten twice each serving for the price. The cooking area also did not look well maintained, clean, or to code. And then practically every plate only has rice or beans, but not both, forcing you to overpay for the other if you want it as well, which most people do. So that's just a ripoff. My wife ordered their lamb plate, and she BIT INTO A BONE IN HER TACO. Like what the hell, why would their be a bone in the taco. She almost and could have easily chipped her tooth. We told the staff and they gave us a piece of carrot cake, which was a nice gesture, but totally did not make up for the unsafe food they served us. The plate also only came with rice, but no beans. The chilaquiles were too fresh--table-salsa tasting and had no boldness or spiciness. They were rather bland. They also only came with beans, but no rice. The chips with guacamole was a ripoff as well, as the amounts were tiny. Heard about this place on reddit and it was a huge disappointment. Not going back.

I’m always looking for authentic Mexican food so I found this place and decided to give it a try, they overcharged me, I ordered barbacoa tacos and they were poorly served and way too expensive and be aware because the price that came on the menu are totally different they will doble up the amount, the place have a weird smell I also ordered orange juice and they served only half of the cup, they charged me $80 for 2lb of romeritos and $80 for 2lb of bacalao and they gave me different total when I placed my order on the phone. I don’t recommend this place the food is way so expensive and poor quality. Never coming back again

Worst customer service from the older lady that was on cash register. We paid almost $45 and had some chilaquiles and mixichote, and then the older lady came to the table and told us she didn't charge for eggs that it was 5.99 more but in receipt clearly says we pay but didn't argue cause we will not come back again. I came here cause they had good ratings, but clearly, this lady was rude since we walked in. We said good morning and ignored us and told her it was our first time here that what she recommended and she said the menu is right there 🤦‍♀️

I paid $20 for half a plate of chilaquiles and half a plate of beans. I was charged extra for protein, no problem but I don’t think I even got 2oz of protein (pictured). I was also charge $3.99 for this half container of chilaquiles sauce. I asked them about $3.99 charge for half a container of chilaquiles sauce and they said they don’t do charity work and cannot give anything away. I laughed because it was a great joke but I will never go back. They have zero regard for customers. I was trying to support a small business but $20 for half a plate of fried tortillas with green sauce is excessive. Protein was thrown out as it seemed chewy and lacked salt.

Chinty Ferrer

I paid $20 for half a plate of chilaquiles and half a plate of beans. I was charged extra for protein, no problem but I don’t think I even got 2oz of protein (pictured). I was also charge $3.99 for this half container of chilaquiles sauce. I asked them about $3.99 charge for half a container of chilaquiles sauce and they said they don’t do charity work and cannot give anything away. I laughed because it was a great joke but I will never go back. They have zero regard for customers. I was trying to support a small business but $20 for half a plate of fried tortillas with green sauce is excessive. Protein was thrown out as it seemed chewy and lacked salt.