First time going to a sit-down restaurant that specializes in a birria-based menu, and it was pretty good, but I've definitely had better elsewhere. FOOD: 7/10 SERVICE: 8/10 AMBIANCE: 10/10 FOOD: 7/10 I wish the birria tacos were more toasty and crunchy, as they tasted slightly soggy. I really love how they have a rack for their toppings, which is very clean and organized! Their horchata was one of the best horchata I've had and was very addictive! SERVICE: 8/10 Service was standard, but the waitress was very nice and chill. She did check up on us to make sure our food was okay. AMBIANCE: 10/10 The restaurant was very spacious and clean with huge TV's of concerts being played, haha. I think I still prefer the taco truck experience for birria tacos and have had better elswhere, but it was a nice place to try! read more

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Food is great the employees are all nice and they keep the place clean and tidy. The food is delicious and serving size good. read more

Birrieria El primo - Specialty Food Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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*Great service *casual ambiance *weekends has some wait times *food is great I still love coming here! This is one of my favorite birria spots to come with the family. Take out is also great if you prefer to eat a home it's always packed well. read more

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Menudo smelled really bad and tacos had too much salt . Servers did not ask once how was the food but they did notice that the food was not being eaten. read more

Sherlyn made experience pleasant and was everywhere. You can tell she takes pride in her job. The Birria was great as it was recommended to me by the car audio place down the street while I wait. read more

What a horrible experience my family and I had this Sunday after mass. We were told to wait 15 min. While they cleaned a table, we waited 20min. The waitress asked the owner if she can sit us at a table he was using to do accounting. He told her no to wait for that table to be cleaned (20min.) I me tinned doesn't he have a back office! I walked around the restaurant and clearly seen 7 tables clean and open mind you I was in business hours. Best believe I spoke up on this issue with him. He dropped the cellphone and told me hold on I have a table for you. I'm like really man almost half hour and many open tables you offer this when I call you out on this. Pathetic that's what I get for trying a new place when clearly Fernandez is the only place to go to. (It was closed) I usually would understand more so running a restaurant years back. read more

There was a roach in a frame I let them know and they were trying to act like nothing happen since there was a influencer recording they didn't want to make it a big deal we didn't even receive any type of discount. read more

Birrieria El primo - It was in those frames where the roach came out - Specialty Food Near Me - Chula Vista, California

First of all, im not the person who write reviews but ill do it. I don't even have an account here in yelp. Horrible experience with Nancy's service. She always seems annoyed with what she does. We simply decided not to go back. The birria isn't the same as before: it's too salty. I don't recommend this place if you don't want to get a bad rap. I wanted to give it another chance and we ordered takeout and they didn't send me any vegetables. Bruhh fr? I won't go back for sure! read more

This was my go to spot for birrieria, but after my last order I think it is time to abandon this place. Ordered a large order of birrieria and it was super salty. I normally like my food salty but even for me the salt was a bit to much. The beans are normally good, but this last order they tasted like they were burnt. This is the 2nd time in a few months I have been here and the food was salty. Not sure if the cooks changed or the recipe changed, but it must call for 2-3 cups of salt not tablespoons. As far as dine in i do not know because I always order to go. read more

This birria is so full of flavor. Love the way it is made. Orders can be a bit skimpy though. Not enough meat & a lot of broth in the orders. Beans were not fresh this time we ordered :/Agua de coco is alsooo very goood!!! read more

I was in the area and craving for some Mexican food. This spot did not disappoint, food was delicious and it was served within 10 mins. I guess I was lucky that service was fast after reading some of the reviews. I like the idea that they bring each table tacos condiments/toppings. read more

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Me and my parents come here every once in a while and the food is amazing. The flour tortillas are soft and homemade always try to come early on the weekends to get some homemade Menudo as a beverage. My wife loves to get their coconut Horchata it kinda sounds weird, but it works amazing. I can confidently say whatever you pick from this place you will not be disappointed. read more

No paper seat covers and no toilet paper at women's bathroom. Micheladas are WAY overpriced. It's mediocre place to eat at best. Overpriced for what it is. They always want cash and will charge extra if you pay with a debit. read more

Service is horrible besides they dont accept debit card just to get away without paying taxes so they tell you to go to atm next to cashier and atm charges $3 for a withdraw. read more

My favorite spot in Chula Vista for micheladas. Nothing beats that first sip feeling the morning after a night out drinking, and the best part is they make them to go! Call ahead to avoid the wait and add an order of their tasty birria while you're at it. #noregrets read more

Birrieria El primo - Michelada to go! - Specialty Food Near Me - Chula Vista, California

This place is a solid indoor birria joint in Chula Vista. I'm from Sydro so I'd only ever ordered Birrieria el Primo from the foodtruck next to Grocery Outlet, but I was with a friend in the area and we decided to try their in store location. When we walked in, there was waitresses and they sat us and took our orders. I just went for the classic tacos, meanwhile my friend opted for a regular taco and a quesataco. They brought us out chips and salsa to start munching while we waited for the food, and the sauces were very tasty and seemed fresh. The food came out shortly, although the tortilla wasn't very "dorada" despite us both asking for our tacos that way, but this birria never makes me sick "nunca cae pesada" and I like that it isn't as greasy as some others that I've had in SD. It's a solid place, and I love their use of repollo in their tacos, that's so Tijuana birrieria Si, La Libertad, if u know u know realness and it adds such a nice pop of color and complexity to the taco. For drinks, we didn't do too much and just stuck to some sodas but they do have cafe de olla which definitely warrants a try. The tacos weren't as hot as I would've loved them to be which was a bummer since they usually come out piping at the food trucks, but for being indoors and having ac, i can't complain too much. The inside is a bit weird, because they have scenery painted on the windows as they're blacked out on both sides, and the decor is flashy and intense, but it's a nice eating experience and I enjoyed having my meal indoors. Also thank god they accept apple pay, I saw so many reviews talking about them making you pay in cash, and honestly it's true there is an ATM inside the building, but we were able to use tap to pay with no problem and the bill wasn't ridiculous, but definitely not the cheapest birria place in SD. God knows if they made me pay in cash I'd be livid. But, OVERALL DAYGOEATS CERTIFIED only because this is the mother store to the food truck and it's good, but ima still be hitting up the food truck first. read more

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This place would definitely be a 4 or 5 Star. However depending on who your waitress is, their debit card machine might not work. Then they'll force you to use the ATM which they conveniently have on site, and it's not a bank atm, so they charge you a fee, and then your bank will charge you a fee. You end up paying 6-7 dollar premium in their premium prices. So make sure you have cash... I found it kind of shady... read more

I only chose to give this place 2 stars because the food was good but the audacity that this place has to NOT tell customers BEFORE ordering that they are cash only is ethically wrong. There are no signs in front of the place stating that. Since they blind side customers by telling you AFTER you try to hand them a debit card and your FORCED to pay an ATM fee, makes me wonder what they're are doing on the side that they may need to hide. Not coming back. There's plenty of delicious Birria in Chula Vista. read more

The Micheladas are delicious, My order was chilaquiles verdes with arranchera, the meat was very salty. I thought it was my food but my boyfriend order the chilaquiles rojos. Mind you he is a salty lover and did say his food was also salty , my mom order the birria tacos and she also thought it was salty. Great customer service just the food was very salty ! read more

This is the best birria here in San Diego, we always order the large order for family gatherings. The ambiance is amazing, the ladies are always so nice and friendly, they offer different dishes I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is craving birria read more

OMG! I cannot believe it has taken me 27 years to try birrieria! It is so deliciously amazing! So, if you are like me, you are probably wondering, "What is birrieria?" It is tasty, tender pieces of beef. Perfectly marinated. It is not spicy. You can eat it as a soup because it comes in broth or you can take out the piece of meat & make a taco. The restaurant gives you plain corn tortilla or deep fried tortilla, & toppings. Quesadilla de harina: Yum! I love how they fry the cheese. Horchata: Very creamy! read more

Food is awesome,,,but customer service is bad and the waitress are in a bad mood, music is too loud and they only take cash!!!!

Food is ok... Drinks came after the food was ready Customer service sucks, wasn't told they only accept cash till I had to pay read more

Food is good but customer service is horrible! Took forever to take our order then messed up our order. Never came back to check how we were doing and I was waiting to ask for a refill but she never came. I had to go to the counter to ask for my check because she was avoiding our table it felt like. Even when I asked for my check it took another 20 minutes and me asking another server for me to finally get my check. I would understand if it was busy but there were only 2 other tables besides mine. I won't be back read more

This restaurant has the worst customer service. It just gets worse. The waitresses are so rude, they don't know the menu. Prices went up , food quality went down. Will not eat here again. read more

Very good food but the day i went there several items on the menu were out.!I don't know if this is the norm but it is frustrating when you crave something from the menu and they don't have it. The service is not very good, they employ these young girls that have no clue of what customer service is. Ambiance for me is too noisy, music is too loud. The worst thing to me was they don't take cards, only cash! and they don't tell you when you order. Thank God I had enough cash to pay. read more

I went hour before closing, the birria was not made right, taste like it was made in tomato sauce not chiles and spices , the tortillas not made in birria consome, they give shredded cabbage which doesn't go with food , and birria was not gd and price was high to top it off . read more

This place is garbage. When they first opened, they were definitely worth the five stars. They only get one now because yelp requires at least one. The service has gone down, the quality has gone down. I won't come back The experience leaves a bad taste read more

10/10 ! Food is amazing ! Love the environment, desserts are amazing , must try green enchiladas

ion know wsp but everytime i order its more caldo then meat cmon now always some shit put more meat on them ordernes tax for caldo

We came here for the first time on a Thursday afternoon. It was recommended by a good friend of mine and we are hooked! We came for the birria and it was amazing!!! My husband and I both ordered birria tacos, blando and dorado. The meat was so flavorful and juicy! The service was great and they made sure we had everything we needed. The ambiance was quiet and very clean, but we were the only ones eating at that time. They do only take cash and there is a sign at the front desk that states that clearly when you walk in. The hostess also mentioned immediately that they only take cash when she sat us. We were aware of that already and made sure to bring cash ahead of time. We will be back again soon and will bringing more family next time! read more

I honestly feel like staff is rude, and that's the biggest ice breaker for me. It's a big discrepancy that they do not disclose it's cash only when sitting people at the restaurant. Not to mention the waiter didn't say anything UNTIL we walked to the register to pay. The waiter asked us if we wanted to order anything else, then as soon as she turned before walking back to the kitchen she said sorry it's close. Not even giving the chance or even being sympathetic about it. Food was okay, minus the fruit flies all over. Definitely wouldn't come here again. read more

The food is great don't get me wrong but the customer service could be a lot better they argue with you when they messed up your order twice back to back definitely would consider to go if you are thinking about eating here read more

The quality of the food is good but it also has to do with the customer service you receive. Which it needs a lot of help! No one acknowledges you when you walk in. The look that the waitresses give you it's like if it's a competition or looking down at you. They just look upset like they're miserable. Not a welcoming place. It makes you not even want to return. read more

Birrieria El primo - Specialty Food Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Horrible customer service. Our server was just very distracted. I ordered a "limonada frapeada" i got a regular lemonade because it was already melted. Food took forever. I ordered "cebollas asadas" i got them after I finished eating, I told my server to please cancel that item and she said "it's not on me, let me go check" when I got them they were cold! Sooo, it was on her for not bring them sooner Before getting my table I asked if I could pay with my card and they said "let me check... yes you can, we haven't reached our limit". Then when I was trying to pay they then told me I couldn't. I mean if you're trying not to report to IRS that's on you. Just say you don't take cards at all! ANNOYING read more

Like so many others who have rated Birrieria El Primo, I had never heard of this particular item of Mexican cuisine. We had traveled into the area looking for a Mochi bakery, located a few doors down and decided to have lunch before shopping at the bakery. So glad we stopped in here. Unlike others, we found the staff to be extremely helpful and welcoming. There is a bit of a language barrier, as we never saw or were offered a menu in English. That is not a problem because we find it exciting to dive into the unknown. I also find the Google Lens translator to be super helpful, so figuring out what was available was not too difficult. I got a Quesadilla and a tostada. Both were outstanding, but the tostada was fried SO crispy and was so thick it was a little challenging to eat. The Quesadilla and the beans that were ladled over it were my favorite. The Husband got the large bowl of birria - a bit too much for a lunch portion, but they were happy to pack it up to go. We were also given two cups of consume for free. So yummy, but be warned - it's served rocket hot, and i burned my tongue a bit. If you are unfamiliar with birria, as we were let me recommend checking out NetFlix's wonderful series "The Taco Chronicles" season two has an episode about birria. Really wish I'd seen it before going to Birrieria El Primo. Will we be back? Heck yes! read more

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This is the worst menudo I have ever taste It tastes just like the one they sale at store from can.I also payés with my debit card and gave me a receipt thinking it was payed for and I left they came out telling me they don't accept card cash only read more

Awesome place to enjoy Birria. The chief, David, cooked right in front of me. He was super attentive. Several times he placed extra onions and cilantro. Further, he took the initiative to ask and cook me more tortillas. The music is perfect. Waitresses are professional. Food is good and warm. read more

Just left this place was very very disappointed if I could give this place 0 start I would .. **BAD SERVICE ** Waitress short girl blond hair over priced + food was not so grate Ordered menudo as I was prepping it to eat it gave us a really strong smell like it was going bad or they didn't clean it good .. I mentioned it to the waiter she took it back and did not care to offer anything else or care to let us know they didn't have any more that was very unprofessional she never stoped and checked in with us so I got up and ask what was her solution? Did she plan on offering me something different? She just said " sorry we are out of menudo" Okay well why not let me know or offer me something different.. mind you this was at like 830-900- am place was not full. Also no one care to ask what happened the owners where there or ask why I was upset... If I were you I'd go else where read more

I'm not one to leave reviews but it was so bad I had to, so I've been coming here since it opened but service has always sucked but today was especially bad I always get the same waitress Nancy I believe short hair kinda blonde she had only like three tables always bad service the menudo smelled a taste spoiled maybe from days we told her she took it away and never came back to the table never offered if we wanted another one or order something else instead never came back to the table mind you all this happened while the owner was sitting there and didn't care to be honest only good service was the buzz boy When we asked if we were getting another one she said you didn't say anything so just took our food that was the only solution, maybe if she spent less time hugging the owner she could actually do her job overall just bad nobody cared or asked what happened read more