Food was good, clean restaurant including bathrooms. Service was excellent and friendly. Would not hesitate to eat here again.

Very delicious. Very reasonable. The tamales are great. The tacos are crispy and the salsa sets them off. Everything is fresh and tasty. Stop in if you are in the area.​ read more

The food is the best in the area. The owner is nice till he try's to get to friendly for this reason I won't go back.

The service and ambiance was exceptional. The food (Chicken Fajitas & Steak Enchilada) was delicious. This will be my go to restaurant when I travel through Kingsport, TN. read more

Authentic California Mexican Grill - California Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Kingsport, Tennessee

Came out from Los Angeles to visit my family who recently relocated to Tennessee . The owner was very friendly and provided great service. However, the food wasn't anything i would consider "California" Mexican food (or at least Southern California ) . The meat and rice lacked flavor and was sadly bland. Perhaps, It caters to the people of the area. My husband ordered seafood and it was also lacking flavor. This place maybe catered to Northern California but definitely doesn't satisfy my southern California taste buds. Cute restaurant though and has great potential. read more

This place was surprisingly terrific. Simple yet great. Friendly joyful greeting from a man upon entry (I assume the owner). The free chips were warm and fresh. The salsa was fresh tasting. The beans were soupy but maybe that's how "authentic" Mexican is. I don't know but they were still good. The food was served hot. You could tell it wasn't premise and just warmed up but cooked fresh. Table side guacamole is available. The restaurant was clean and odor free. Pork and ham torta (Gringa) could use some sour cream on the side but it was good. The rice tasted more like a light fare almost like it was cooked in a wok. It was good. Overall, uncomplicated dishes that are good and filling the belly and for the right price. read more

Authentic California Mexican Grill - Cheese enchilada with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Kingsport, Tennessee

Good Mexican food in Tri-Cities is hard to come by. There are many things that make a 5 start restaurant. This is not a Michelin restaurant! I would say that the place live up to it's name "Authentic California Mexican Grill" A little bigger than a hold in the wall, but the food you would expect from a hole in the wall! Another review said "Doesn't look like much but the food was excellent, unlike the typical "Mexican" food in the Tri cities." I have eaten here twice: First time I ordered the Carnitas - excellent! Second time I brought my family - I ordered the Carne Asada, it was good but the style was not to my liking. Others in the group had Carnitas and Tacos. All three of these meals where prepared to perfection! Salsa - Excellent! Bean Dip - Superb Chips - Thick Dark brown style Tortillas - Typical Meats - Tender and Tasty Garnish, Salad & Pico - Fresh Refried Beans - Fresh, Creamy, Tasty and Authentic!!! Unlike that other place that puts Orange dye and sugar in the beans - Ugh Rice - not your traditional Red Mexican rice but certainly found in California. More of Caldo style - light & tasty. Ok, so right now I have mixed feelings - if you like Good Mexican food then this is the place to go. But if you go and your friends go then I am going to have to wait in line. So let's keep this review between you and me, this way we both don't have to wait in line ;) read more

As my daughter says, it's low key bussin'. Whatever that means. I thought it was great. The guy working was awesome. Super friendly and very helpful. The food was some of the best I've had around the city. I had the choripollo and the Mrs had the trio tacos. The guacamole was hitting and seasoned perfectly. I would highly suggest this place and plan to make this our spot for Mexican food from here on out. read more

We moved here from California and we were spoiled with great Mexican food. Well, since moving here its been a challenge to find something close. Then we came here. It's the closest, so far! We are still on the hunt though. At first, the name of the restaurant threw me... I thought it was a quirky ploy, because why would you put California in the title of a Mexican restaurant I'm sure it was a strategic move, since us Native Californians are searching hard! I got the Enchiladas Poblanas in Mole sauce! They were good! Not the best, because that goes to my tia.. But they were satisfying. The beans were a little soupy for my liking, but tasty. The rice was good, but not my favorite, my abuela gets that award. My gringo husband ordered the Carnitas and he was impressed. They tasted clean and were not sopping with grease. He was able to satisfy his Mexican cravings. We were super impressed with the two salsas they served with the chips, tasty and hot The restaurant has a nice welcoming atmosphere with comfortable seating and clean dining experience. The gentleman who is the host and server, is most excellent at his job! read more

The absolute BEST authentic Mexican food in the area. Very friendly service. Highly recommend trying this place. Very family friendly. We are never disappointed with the food, service or price read more

This is hands down the best mexican restaurant in our area!! If you haven't eaten here then you're missing out!! The owner is precious and he basically runs the dining area totally on his own. I'd much rather support a small family owned business than a large restaurant chain. Also just a psa if you do decide to dine in, they don't have air conditioning. read more

I ordered a ribeye steak---yes I know it's my fault for ordering it. I asked for medium. It was about 1/4 of an inch thick, well done and tough as shoe leather. I couldn't even chew some of it and had to spit it out into a napkin. Was supposed to come with broccoli and got chopped up lettuce instead.My husband liked his enchiladas and the chips and salsa were good. We saw one gentleman running the place. Took forever to get our check. Won't be back read more

I've had better but not In Kingsport. when you want something Mexican in Kpt., definitely the best place to go.

This is one of the best Mexican restaurants around and we have been on a search for good Mexican food since we moved to Tennessee. We drive 45 minutes to get here. I give it 5 stars because of the service and food is better than the rest around here. I've had better but not around here. Try the table side guacamole, it's really good! read more

We were there on October 5; host is very friendly, attentive, and helpful. Carnitas were excellent and my wife had an excellent steak enchilada. I agree it is vey clean and welcoming. We will be back soon. read more

One of my absolute favorite Mexican restaurants. The salsa, service and food are exceptional!

This is without a doubt the BEST Mexican restaurant in Kingsport. When they say authentic they mean real homemade Mexican food. Atmosphere is honey, wher is welcoming, and the food is FABULOUS. read more

The proprietor is friendly and attentive. The menu has a wide selection of Tex-Mex and true south of the boarder dishes. Everything seemed fresh and high quality. They don't scrimp on the meats and the guacamole made at the table is very good. Our only complaint was they taco chips. They were brown and over fried. Some chips having a slight burnt taste. But that minor issue does not take away from a 5 star rating. read more

Doesn't look like much but the food was excellent, unlike the typical "Mexican" food in the Tri cities. Will definitely be back!

I haven't completed my dining experience yet but I just have to let you know it's a good start so far. The service was quick and attentive. Everything was clean. Atmosphere was right for a Mexican restaurant in the classic sense. I do not like the new cafeteria style many places are employing. The chips were fresh and made on sight, both the red and green salsa was unique and obviously made from scratch. That's a great sign. The chips were on the dark side, not burnt but past golden. I prefer them like that but I know some may not. The flavor of the salsa was sooooo good. Fresh and spiced proficiently. ........ I wanted to write the review as I ate but there's no way that could happen. Both because the food came to fast and more importantly it was too good to stop eating long enough to write. Everything was truly moorish. I got the flautitas appetizer. I expected them to be deep fried like a flauta but it was grilled. No matter, it was spectacularly spiced. I was pretty amazed, as I don't expect stellar Mexican food in TN. There was enough on the plate for a meal. 6 of em but they were not small as the name may suggest. With an appetizer this good I was pretty sure the meal would be outstanding. I was right, it was. I got the enchiladas supremas. 4 enchilada 1 each of bean, chicken, cheese, and beef. Each one was excellent! One of my metrics for a good Mexican restaurant is that each item has a different flavor. I've been in places where the same filling and spice profile is used in everything. You know those places. Everything tastes the same it's just in a different shape. That's the mark of a crap restaurant. Every one of the enchiladas had it own unique flavor. And each one was worthy of being the star of the plate. The ground beef one did have a boiled flavor that many people enjoy although it's not my favorite. Nothing here was too hot. Id say it was all mild with the exception of the red salsa which was approaching medium. Authentic California however is now my favorite Mexican restaurant in the tri cities area. Bar none. read more

I had never noticed this restaurant when I had driven by but read a review & decided to give it a try. Their was only 1 person there to greet the customers, take orders, cook & serve the food. He was friendly & happy & the food was the best Mexican I have found in Kingsport. I will definitely go back. One drawback for some diners is that they do not serve alcohol. read more

Best Mexican food in the Tri-Cities. Carlos runs a great operation, very friendly and energetic. Food was outstanding and kids had a blast.