I recently dined at Casa de Pico today 11/2/24 at 7pm. I can confidently say it was one of the worst culinary experiences I've ever endured. Before we arrived we had been put on the waitlist and we were told 10-20 min wait. When we got to the hostess we were told 45 mins despite having a text that our table was ready. The service was painfully slow, with staff who appeared disinterested at best. I understand that we were placed in the corner and next to a huge 2 table birthday party group of 20 people but we weren't given water or silverware for at least 20 minutes. Our server took an eternity to take our order, and when the food finally arrived, it was a train wreck. The food was inedible, cold and so salty you couldn't even eat it. We basically had to fill up on chips. My boyfriend even had to ask for his soda 3 times and the second time he asked a busser who responded by saying he couldn't help only the server could take the drink order... To top it all off, the place was unkempt. Tables were sticky, and the restroom was in dire need of attention. It felt like a health hazard more than a dining establishment. We have been loyal patrons of this restaurant for years and have never experienced this before. To make matters worse, despite returning 3 plates untouched and asking for a manager he gave us a $30 "employee discount" which barely covered a plate and a half. Our check was $150 with automatic gratuity for a party of 6 and the best we were given was $30, unbelievable! Overall, Casa de Pico failed on every level--food, service, and cleanliness. Save your money and your taste buds; there are far better options out there. This restaurant should reconsider its name to reflect the chaos that it truly embodies. read more

Casa De Pico - Cold and salty enchilada suiza - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

I love this Mexican restaurant in the East County, specifically in La Mesa. Huge parking lot as it's located in a shopping center. Parking lot does get busy, but I always find parking. I have came here many times and have tried pretty much everything on the menu! My obsession right now is the seafood enchiladas and the chicken fajita salad! The ambience is a little bit loud, but it's a fun atmosphere! The chicken on my fajita salad was tender and juicy! The chicken was charbroiled, and the flavor was delicious! The seafood enchiladas were also very flavorful and they gave you a great amount of protein. Our waitress was good today but not the best. She took a little bit longer to come to the table, but the restaurant was busy so that's OK. Totally understandable. I will be coming back again! read more

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Casa De Pico always hit the spot. Once you walk in, it feels like I'm at Old town. I forgot our servers name but he was so awesome. Brought us out chips and salsas. It always goes great with mango margarita and Tim had whiskey with coke. For our entree we both ordered: Seafood Enchiladas Supremas $21.95 Two enchiladas with shrimp, pescado blanco and vegetables. Topped with creamy jalapeno sauce and served with rice and black beans. read more

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One of the best dining experiences I've had in a while! I ordered - Shrimp & fish taco: Super fresh & delicious! The portion size was huge & it also came with Mexican rice & black beans. They also sing to you for your birthday so that was a nice touch but overall I loved the vibe and all the culture this place brings to the area. read more

Casa De Pico - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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When I come back home this is a family favorite place to come too never disappointed when we come and one of my parents, favorite places to come to being it's not too far from them all the foods good their margarita drinks are good and my mom and boyfriend's favorite is the hummingbird drink read more

Went for happy hour and had a great experience with the bartender Jose! He was Very friendly and me and my friend had a great time! Great margaritas! We will be back :) read more

Our server (Manuel) was excellent and well attentive. The food was also excellent and unfortunately we filled up in the chips. They had live music tonight which added to the experience. Couple of areas to point out: - The guacamole that came with the dishes was good, a bit more salt but still quite good. - The carnitas was a bit dry, would have been nice to have had the sauce poured over. Once you put their salsa on it, it was better. Highly recommend this place, looks like they take pride in the ppl they hire and their service. read more

I love their Tostada Del Mundo. We order it with shredded beef. The ambience is amazing! Honestly I have not eaten anything else besides that but they are always packed and parking is difficult but we always order to go. read more

Nobody greeted us when we entered. We found our own table and got our own menus. Food and drinks were hastily prepared but slow to come out. Several omissions and mistakes on our order. Zero attention to detail. Waited forever to get a waiter's attention. Waited at least 25 minutes to get our bill and a few boxes for leftovers. They only had 2 waiters in the bar area during the dinner rush. Place is a little scuffed and dusty inside. 2 stars since the waiters seemed to be trying but communication just wasn't there. Not planning to return. read more

Chicken tortilla soup//The broth was excellent full stop // the chicken was not shedded only big clumps - the amount of green peppers Barely sliced huge pieces I hate green peppers I would have that the carrots were many and huge pieces!! Who are u serving?? Epic fail!! Take time to prepare the veggies properly or hire a new prep chef !! KA What a dissapointentv read more

What great place! Nice decor our waiter that has worked there for 30 years was fun and friendly. The food was very good. Great we tried while in the San Diego area. Seafood chimichanga was full of seafood, not beans or rice! read more

Casa De Pico - Seafood chimichanga! - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Stopped here on Sunday afternoon. The service was very fast after ordering food came out in about the time it took waitress to walk to the kitchen and back, portion size was good, p4ices were anout average for a sit down full service resturant. Party of 4 with tax and tips was right about $120.00. Ordered crispy taco and chili releno, chili releno was slightly underdone and the taco was over done and slightly chewy. Other members of the party had cheese enchiladas, which were also slightly chewy. Live music was available Sunday afternoon. read more

Casa De Pico - Crisply taco chili releno, with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

We always come here and the food is good, but i just found a bug in the middle of my enchilada mixed in with the seafood.... read more

Casa De Pico - bug in my Seafood Enchiladas Supremas - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

My family has been going to Casa for years. I moved away and always found myself back at casa every time I visit. The last two times I've been were different. It pains me to leave a three star because it's always been a 5 star experience. The salsa is different tasting now. The margarita prices are high and the food quality is lower. My wife orders the taquitos every time. The last two times were similar to when she gets them frozen at the grocery store. My mom's cheese fondue looking dish was always delicious. This last time it was curdled appearing and very salty. And the waitress was quite rude towards my 3 year old daughter because she had some of the sugar packets on the table. The last bill was $300+. Unfortunately, we will not be coming back. The quality, service, and overall atmosphere has suffered. It was great while it lasted. read more

Casa de pico Mexican restaurant it's an excellent magnificent place to eat and have a great time!!! Great food and excellent margaritas of all flavors!! I drink the watermelon and tamarind margaritas, they are great and very refreshing!!! Music it's great !! Service waiter Jackie it's excellent service and very attentive. And manager Lino it's great seeing that everything it's going well, he personally came to our table to ask if everything was going well? Highly recommended this Mexican restaurant!!! Mario read more

So we started at the bar waiting for a table on a busy Thursday Night. Couldn't sit outside due to the heat. We had a couple of Cadillac margaritas that were delicious and lasted us thru dinner. Kinda pricey at 20 bucks each but seems like liquor is pricey everywhere! We sat down and had the best waiter there take care of us JC! We last saw him about 5 yrs ago and were pleasantly surprised to see him. We had the lime shrimp and carne asada and grilled shrimp and steak picado...all very delicious and very filling. The shrimp was cooked just right and juicy. The carne asada was tender And marinated just right. This restaurant hires good cooks as I have been a long term customer here. My concern continues to be the pricing increases not only here but throughout the entire industry. read more

Casa De Pico - Menu - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Why do I not go here more often??? Food- had the enchiladas ranchero, chile rellenos, tacos, fabulouso Mexican favorite, something else, and chips and salsa. All of it was absolutely tasty. The salsa was so good I ordered a tub to go. Love that the refried beans had some whole pieces in it. And the use of the tortilla as a bowl for the rice and beans...brilliant!!! Strawberry and lime margaritas were very good. Service- top notch. There were very attentive and worked really well together. Everyone helped everyone and it seemed they have plenty of servers working. Ambiance- love the decor. It was great for my six year old. She loved looking at all the decorations. Seriously, really great place. Prices were very reasonable as well. read more

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I'm very disappointed in the treatment my family and I received at Casa de Pico. We called ahead for a party of 25 and were told there would be an hour wait. When we arrived, we saw plenty of open tables inside, outside, and in the bar. We explained we just wanted to eat anywhere available, but were still told to wait an hour. The bartender confirmed the bar was open seating, so we sat down. But when the waitress came, she refused to give us separate checks--even though we were clearly sitting at separate tables. At that point, being a group of Black customers, we could not help but feel that the refusal to accommodate us was rooted in racial discrimination. My family left and took our business elsewhere. I stayed behind to speak with management, but only got two supervisors. One apologized, but by then the damage had been done. This was especially heartbreaking because I had previously enjoyed excellent food and service here with a smaller group, and I've recommended this place to many friends and family. To be treated this way with a large group--especially in a way that felt discriminatory--was deeply upsetting. We will not be returning. read more

Met my cousin here for her bday dinner, it was Friday early afternoon and wasn't crowded at all. I used to go to Casa De Pico when it was located in Old Town quite often, I know it's been located here in the Grossmont Shopping Center for a long while now but I don't frequent it. I was seated in a booth quickly and my cousin joined a few minutes later. Our server was super nice and very attentive. I had the chicken flautas and my cousin got taquitos. What can I say the meal was really good, food came out hot and tasted great! The restaurant was looks the same as it was in Old Town, there's a beautiful outdoor patio and the inside was nice also. read more

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Great food! The margarita was a little weak but ordered an extra shot and added it and it was perfect! But service was on point, food was authentic and delicious and reasonably priced. Great location as well. read more

Casa de Pico has been around since before I moved here in 1996. As one of the restaurants displaced when Bazaar del Mundo was destroyed by the company who chose to ruin a San Diego historic area, a new location was needed. Since moving to Grossmont Center I can say the experience is mostly the same once I'm in the restaurant. The chips and salsa haven't changed and the food is exactly what I remember. The only reason I'm giving 3 stars is the cost. read more

We loved this place but the last few times the food has been rushed out so fast it's not being cooked or handled properly. The rice and beans and guacamole plate must've been sitting out and they tasted funny and now sick! The chile relleno was under cooked just not what it use to be. We really wanted to continue going here but can't after the last few experiences. read more

Where to start. 5 stars for service. Chips and salsa almost beat you to seating yourself. The chips have to be the best chips I've ever had. The kids meals are huge and cheap. Leftover city for both kids and adults. Not many authentic Mexican food spots get m excited in San Diego. This place hits the spot. Mariachi bands and great authentic feel. Definitely a great spot to come back to. read more

Absolutely worth checking out!!! I never got to visit Casa De Pico when they were in Old Town, but always heard good things about it. So when we were invited to lunch at the La Mesa location this weekend, I was excited. The La Mesa location is located at the Grossmont Shopping Center, right next door to BJ's. The ambiance of the restaurant is awesome. Beautiful Spanish art theme. There is a ton of seating both indoor and outdoor. In my visit, our party enjoyed the Sunday afternoon on the patio. There was a TON of shade on the patio. It was perfect. On to the food... Fantastic!!! The menu is your traditional Mexican menu.The food was so good and the portion sizes were huge. You receive free chips and salsa when you arrive and the salsa is pretty good. They also have hot queso for the chips that you can request. The queso was very similar to the 'white sauce" at Miguel's, which I love. I did not have any special drinks, but my wife and our friends ordered Margaritas and they absolutely loved them. The service and the staff, for me was the highlight. Our server "Mr. Felix" was absolutely phenomenal. He was quick with our order and drink refills. He just had a great personality and great service. I didn't get the names of his team, but everyone that assisted him with brining out our food was great. Regardless of how great the food was, I would could make just based on the service we received. ****Note: I heard the the Grossmont Mall under the new ownership might be redeveloped as early as 2025...Not sure what that means for Casa De Pico, but I sure hope it means nothing. This is on our list of "Go to" spots!!!! read more

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Great time as always, Chicken tamale was very tasty and carne asada was deliciously tender! Service by Luz Elena was excellent and Leon was very attentive! Will definitely be back! read more

Stop that casa de Pico and try it there carne asada and shrimp plate with a pina colada the service was amazing the food was great!! Whole time we were there we really enjoyed ourselves and the ambience was just right! If you're ever near you have to try it out it's very similar to Casa Guadalajara in Old Town in fact we were told by the waitress they're the same owners! Awesome place! read more

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My wife and I (and our family) have been dining here for years. Without fail, our service is impeccable every time and the food is always absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is always great usually including live music that we love. On this night, my wife, myself and sister came to eat a little bit later than we normally would. We showed up about 830 pm on a Sunday and the staff was gracious enough to accommodate us. I would also like to recognize our server Alfonso. He was incredible. I must say that his service was probably the best customer service I've experienced in ANY business. This is saying a lot considering this restaurant has fantastic staff and everyone there is always wonderful to us. This man is a true gem and we will not forget his graciousness. Give this man a raise. We will continue coming here for many years and recommending this amazing establishment to all we know. Thank you Casa de Pico, your staff and especially Alfonso. read more

Okay mexican food. Our family has been coming here for years for multiple occasions support supporting this local business and today they ruined my experience here. Really expensive prices gone up over the years. They up charged for kids small meals. 6$ small burrito and on the receipt it said 9$?? Said adult fee ?? Wtf. For the same portion. ?? Make it make sense. It also isn't advertised or printed anywhere on any menu. Not sire how that is legal false advertising. So not happy with that. The server didnt say a word about it either so that sucks they expect you to know there is an upcharge? Bs. Will not be coming back . Server was nice and quick to help just sad about the hidden unjust fees read more

Casa De Pico - Kids menu - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Had a great time at Casa de Pico and was surprised I didn't need a reservation on a Friday night! The restaurant is spacious and lively, with plenty of room for families and large parties. The shrimp tacos were great. Good ratio of batter to shrimp, and it came out piping hot. The kiddo ate his quesadilla but loved the grapes and salsa more lol. The carnitas plate was a huge portion, definitely enough to split for 2 people or a leftover meal. our waitress seemed a little busy and was behind on service, but we weren't in a rush. it was nice getting to enjoy the mariachi band from our neighboring tables lol read more

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A local favorite. Anyone from east county knows casa de pico is a gem. They start you out with the complimentary chips and salsa(super flavorful and not spicy!) any of the margaritas are great-though the peach raspberry is my favorite. And really, anything I've ever had on the menu has been really good, too! The chile verde is top notch! It has a really great atmosphere, so much color and vibrancy and lots to look at. And last, Burt certainly not least-the staff. They're great, all of them. But I'd like to shout out Alfonso! He went above and beyond with his excellent recommendations, quick responses and great hospitality!! read more

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Waitress was great, food was good but don't ask for a plastic cup because they have a younger waiter who assumes you're going to transfer alcohol in it and I couldn't even enjoy my conversation with my Company because they kept going back-and-forth watching and watching as if we were going to commit a crime read more

This is one of My fave Mexican restaurants in SD. Lately I've been addicted to their chips and salsa. The salsa is soooo good and you can order it to go! I love getting fresh flour tortillas and butter! The chicken enchiladas suiza is delicious. And they have a lot of options for kids food. Huge restaurant with lots of seating. read more

I look my son and grandson out for lunch the day before mother's day, we went at lunchtime. It was very busy so we had about a 20 minute wait. Once seated the server, Sonia, served our drinks and took our orders. The wait for our meal was a bit longer than usual but that was not a problem for us. The chips and salsa take the edge off of waiting. The food was excellent. My son had the shrimp fajitas. My grandson had a beef burrito and I had a machaca burrito. One of the best tasting machaca burritos I've had in a long time. Sonia was an outstanding server. Give it a try. Yes, it's noisy but that is because lots of people feel like I do about the food and service. read more

This place is so much fun during the weekend as there is a mariachi on-site. We have been here several times with a toddler and an infant. The staff has been friendly and accommodating each time. The main and kids menu have many options. We have tried chile verde, enchiladas suizas, mole enchiladas and guac enchiladas. I'm a big fan of the mole enchiladas and chile verde. read more

This is another restaurant who boosts only two dollar signs ($$) indicating that they're not expensive. This restaurant we have patronized for many years, and I have seen it go in three months from a it $13.50 tostada, chicken, which is now $19.95. I then ordered a chicken taco à la cart and I was quoted $8.50. I also ordered a medium margarita which I thought it was $15 , but in small letters it said the flavors are three dollars extra so I got an $18 margarita +$8.50 Toco-$16. But they're atmosphere and food is wonderful. Now my husband had a $25 plate plus a beer so say it was 35 for him Total and 30 dollars for mine =$65 that includes tax and the of $ 10= a total of 75 bucks. But we used to go to a very exclusive restaurant for that price and I remember When before Covid _you know we could get away with 40 or 45 bucks - now restaurants are taking advantage since that Covid is over they've recuperated they need to level out their prices very inflated!!!! We will probably will not go to Casa De Pico often. I strongly suggest that they get their coupons of buying $100 and you get $25 free, they had it for a while but then they took it away. I would also have you protest by not going as often to cause De Pico and mentioning also how expensive it is. It's hard to enjoy yourself when you're there for a 45 minutes or an hour and you know it's costing you 75 bucks - when you're retired ridiculous. They should have a senior menu and I can only go there maybe twice a year now because They're out of our league at this point. So definitely put at least a three 3 -31/21 stars in fact, I think you should revise it. You should have an additional + when for example, they are three stars but maybe four so they give you a 3+ for three and a 2.half. A tab. Because these restaurants prices are higher than indicated. The cost should indicate a 3+. The two dollar signs are very misleading! THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE ADDRESSED AND HAVE THIER DOLLAR SIGNS -REFLECT THEIR RESTAURANT PRICES!!! read more

House of Festive I am so old that I can remember the time when this place used to be Carlos Murphy's, before another RIP chain, and when CdP was originally at Old Town San Diego. Like, you're so old, you went to Balboa Park when it was just a plant. The venue is spacious and can accommodate larger sized parties, whether at the patio, cantina, or dining area. We thought we would be waiting forever for a table of 6+ and seeing folks milling around the hostess stand with their table pagers was initially discouraging, but the quoted time of (x) minutes was accurate. Service has been prompt the few times we visited. As we got seated, chips and salsa suddenly appeared across the table, drink orders taken (try the large Margarita), and some in the group needed a few minutes to read over the menu. It's a bit of light reading for the indecisive, but no worse than reading through a Cheesecake Factory tome. Food came out in timely fashion and our server checked on us regularly to make sure we were good. Parking can be a challenge during peak times, weekends, and holidays. read more

Casa De Pico - Fried ice cream $7.95 - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

So I went here last night and I'm sure it was just because maybe there was lots of people ordering drinks or I'm not quite sure, but our service was extremely horrible. After we received our food the server did not come back to check in on us at all, not come back to refill our waters, did not come back to refill chips, did not come back to see if we wanted to order anything else for at least 35 minutes and yes, we were timing it we couldn't get his attention at all. The table next to us saw us looking for him and flagged him down after they got their bill and told him to go in and check on us and he asked us do you want to order dessert and I let him know maybe 20 minutes ago and said that all he said was oh, I apologize for that, and then made no mention of anything else about the service did not refill the waters nothing.is a huge And it was just a bad experience, the food is good, ambience is good. This restaurants is great for groups and parties and celebrations but in this particular situation, I don't know if I go back very soon because of this experience, maybe in a few months, but right now, I just felt like we didn't even really get a real apology for the lack of service- attentive service. read more

The food was okay, nothing special. The service was very slow even though the restaurant was half empty on a Thursday afternoon. Irritating that the server took it upon herself to add a 22% gratuity tip on top of the Total after tax. A tip has to be earned, but this wasn't worth it. No refill on sodas, no asking if the food was okay. Won't be back anytime soon. read more

This place is still good but I really miss when it was in old town. I don't think the food has changed much, if at all

We have been going to Casa De Pico for over 10 years. The outdoor seating is our favorite and the servers are very friendly and helpful. They have many different options for different diets and the kids menu is perfect for our little ones. I love the stuffed poblano peppers and I always take leftovers home. My kids love watching birds play in the fountain and hearing the mariachis play. Great for a weekend lunch or early dinner! read more