I stopped by Cotijas Mexican Food when I was craving something quick but satisfying -- and it definitely hit the spot Food: The portions were generous and flavorful. The carne asada was juicy and well-seasoned, and the tortillas tasted fresh. Their salsa bar is a win -- good variety with actual spice (not just mild pretending to be hot). Everything came out hot and made to order, which I always appreciate. Service: Fast and efficient. It's more of a casual counter-service vibe, but the staff was polite and kept the line moving. Even during a busy rush, the wait wasn't long. Ambiance: Clean, laid-back, and perfect for a casual lunch or quick dinner. Not fancy, but comfortable and reliable. It feels like a go-to neighborhood spot when you don't want to overthink it. Overall, Cotijas is one of those dependable places you can count on for solid Mexican food at a fair price. I'd definitely be back for an easy weeknight meal. read more

Sad to say as of my last visit it will definitely be my last visit and I'm no longer spending my money here when there's taco shops everywhere. I used to think they were good until this very last visit that just PMO even when I think about it as I'm writing my review. I guess since I last visited I found out they accept cards now so that's convenient. Still in a crazy area with strays and homeless yelling at you. Anyway I ordered a shrimp a la diabla burrito of course because duh why not "they are known for their shrimp a la diabla burritos" so I never really enjoyed rice in my burrito. The shrimp a la diabla comes with diabla shrimp, tartar sauce, and rice I believe. So I had the bright idea of substituting the rice for some lettuce instead because I know it needed a filler. I know the diabla burrito can get a bit messy. But I wasn't expecting what I got when I came home to eat. It was a wet mess inside! No damn lettuce in sight, just a bunch of liquid and shrimp inside wrapped in a messy burrito. Whoever tf wrapped that burrito should get fired for that. Like 1.) why would you wrap my stuff so loose knowing there was bunch of liquid. 2.) why would you scoop all that juice inside a burrito knowing good and well it'd be wet. 3.) do you not know how to read; where was my lettuce?! So it basically broke apart and was a wet mess I literally couldn't even hold my burrito up. Never again! read more

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I always enjoy my food from this spot. Fast service, clean welcoming atmosphere. Today didn't seem as busy as times before not because of the great customer service or the food but because the strip mall it's located in has closed down a huge discount store which has decreased the flow of customers. So for all you folks wanted great tasty Mexican food visit this location, go now ! Enjoy your meal ! 2026(9) read more

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The customer service you get at this place is amazing the cashier Aracell is so friendly .the restaurant is always clean and the prices are very affordable read more

I've been coming here for 20 years still mt fav fish taco. I order the flying saucer. Hits the spot and tastes amazing. Shrimp burrito is the best you'll ever have. read more

Great food... Great service... Clean and happy restaurant... Festive. I really love this place... All their restaurants are pretty much on point. read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - Found it - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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Delicious machaca con papas, always very friendly, food is fast & fresh. Their quesadilla's are huge and gooey. Their tortillas are the real deal and the jamaica is icy and refreshing. Love them! read more

Ordered at the window at 9pm(ish). Service was friendly and pretty fast! The fish burrito was fantastic. The nachos, however, were not. The guacamole tasted store bought (very likely and strangely smooth?) and the cheese was still cold. We will for sure try again, but no more nachos. read more

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The food and service is always solid! We get the rolled tacos every time and we are never disappointed. The inside is clean and service is quick and good. read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - 3 Chicken Rolled Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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I'm giving it 4 stars because of one thing and nothing only. The breakfast burritos... specifically the hash brown burrito that is not a permanent fixture o nthe menu yet, it's on a little sign by the window. The bacon is amazingly crispy and the burrito is delicious. They still utilize the covid window(which I love) and you can go inside too. read more

Chorizo Breakfast Burrito was everything I needed to start my day. Perfect mix of eggs and chorizo wrapped in hot flour tortilla. I will ask to add potatoes and cheese next time to take it to the next level. Red salsa was average flavor and spice. Priced under $10 after taxes. read more

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I tried getting my usual hash brown breakfast burrito with chorizo instead of sausage. Which I have done at least 4-5 times before with no issue. But this morning I was denied my request to switch meats. I've never had an issue before but the cashier claims perhaps the OWNER took my orders each time before but because of the register (she just looks at it as if she doesn't have the correct button) she could not. I said I'll pay extra, she did not want to be helpful and was a little rude in her delivery. I will not be going there anymore for bad customer service and their food is nothing special, it was convenience just moving into the neighborhood. Lots of homeless hang out there anyway so it makes sense they don't put much effort in. Sad. read more

Not all Cotijas are created equal and I feel like I'm well qualified to determine that after trying a lot of them around town. This one, in my opinion, stands above all the rest. My addiction (when I want to skip a day of healthier eating) is their pollo asado burrito. It's simple with only chicken and their guacamole and I absolutely love it. The chicken is always tender and it's not crowded with too many ingredients. This location is simplicity done well and it even has a few tables outside to enjoy San Diego's spectacular weather all year round. You'll need both red and green salsa, trust me. read more

I have 5 Rolled Tacos. It's delish and freshly cooked. The place is very clean and the most I liked is that they have separate restroom for the girls... and very clean. read more

I went here last week. I ordered a carne asada burrito. Cheese, sour cream, pico de Gallo and guacamole. When I got home I discovered a very bare burrito. No cheese, pico de Gallo, sour cream or guacamole. A thin burrito with tough meat. I was upset and called Cotijas. They agreed that they would comp me a new burrito with all the extras. I returned this weekend. I ordered the same thing with the guac on the side. Wtf? When I got home I had another bare tough burrito. Guacamole on the side. Yuck. I was disappointed, and the guacamole made me angry! It's was a very, very pale greenish grey guac that looked completely unnatural. It tasted like stale milk and cheap Italian dressing. It was disgraceful. What kind of poor excuse for Mexican food was this? A flat, tough burrito with a side of nasty green slime! I used to love this place. I will never go here again. How many stars? Zero! read more

I'm sad I really came in for a great California burrito what I got was pre cooked dry meat. I hate when they do that cook up a bunch and leave it sitting in a container to keep it hot and it get super dry and over cooked not a good look. In the burrito is carne fries and Mexican salsa pico de gallo no guacamole no sour cream so it's dry and just not for me. I'm looking for the best CA burrito and this spot failed me. I brought in cash because no matter what your amount they charge you for debit or Apple Pay or credit. The food came out super quick which is cool but not if you sacrifice flavor. They also don't have green salsa another travesty the ambiance is chill Mexican music playing and very clean and colorful. I'm by here all of the time but I can't come back after this miss. Sorry 2 stars for the clean restaurant and quick order but this place is a no go based on what you should pride yourself. The tortilla was good and the cheese was scarce the picture says it all dry and not good couldn't even finish it and maybe my dog won't eat it it's bad read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - California Dry AF Burrito - over cooked meat no guacamole no sour cream - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Great food and great service. You can find this little gem in Lemon Grove, across the street from Harbor Freight. Large menu and plenty of indoor seating. No drive thru option. read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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They do not have physical menus or kids menus, so they're not very accommodating or accessible. I waited at the counter for about 5 minutes before even being greeted. Wouldn't return read more

Service window outside for ordering & pick up as well as inside. No inside seating. Couple of seats outside. Haven't eaten here in almost two decades. But it hasn't changed from what I recall. The rolled tacos are made with ground beef. The carne asada burrito did lack seasoning in the meat. The salsa/hot sauce not hot at all. But not bad, just based on taste not the best. When you order they call the number on your receipt. I didn't recall or know. But I caught on quickly. read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - Side of building in parking lot - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

I always go to Sombrero because it's the closest in my place and their food are also good, on my way home I saw this Cotijas and bought our fave food. Their carne asada chips is good, cashier is nice and fast service too. read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - Carne asada fries - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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I love to hunt down a Cotijas when I'm in San Diego. I have favorites, but I"m rarely in the same area on my trips there. They vary pretty greatly (maybe some aren't even a part of the franchise?), but generally I leave happy. This one was just okay. The food I had was fine, but the lack of salsa bar was disappointing. It wasn't bad, but I'll find a better one if I"m back in that area. read more

Excellent customer service. Amazing food at a good price! Wouldn't change a thing. Staple here in lemon grove.

Great food, not really a great place to sit and eat but that's what take out is for. I go there at least once a week

Delicious is the perfect word to use for the breakfast burritos !! Mouth watering Machaca Burrito with beef , onions, bell peppers, and egg. And my Hash-brown Burrito with sausage, bacon, sour cream, egg, and cheese. Both contained such flavor and made fresh. The workers we nice and greeted us upon walking in. The taco shop itself was a more old school classic little Mexican restaurant. read more

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I lived in Lemon Grove in high school and would frequently walk to Cotijas with my friends. Moved all over SoCal and even moved to NorCal for a bit. Every time I was in town to visit family, this place was a required stop. The shredded beef tacos are still as delicious as they were 20 years ago. Highly recommend. Great Mexican food fix staple :) read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - Shredded beef tacos - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

This place is pretty good very decent. The prices are OK. The staff is great. I think they're pretty quick and consistent on their food. I'll keep on coming here and recommend it as well. read more

Visited my husband's parents in Lemon Grove on December 30, 2021 when my mother-in-law suggested that we pick up dinner from Cotija's. I'm pretty sure that this was not my first visit to this taqueria, but since I don't have a solid memory of past experiences here, this review is based on our 12/30/21 take-out. We arrived around 8 PM. No line, so no wait to order through the outdoors window/walk-up counter. The menu is composed of standard San Diego taco stand offerings; burritos, tortas, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, beverages, and daily specials. During ordering, I found it odd that we had to indicate to the restaurant if we wanted authentic Mexican guacamole vs. some kind of fake version made up of sour cream and other ingredients. I can only assume that this is a gringo accommodation. Prices for menu items are very decent and pretty competitive in comparison to other taquerias around town. Cotija's food earns two thumbs up from my family and me. Their portions are impressively generous, especially for their low prices - they most definitely do not skimp on servings of meat for their tacos. I warned my youngest that the rolled tacos from San Diego taco stands are mostly tortilla and very low in beef fillings, but was pleasantly surprised to find that Cotija's versions are sufficiently filled that they could easily be considered as flautas. They also offer rolled tacos filled with chicken which my son devoured. My eldest enjoyed his CALIFORNIA BURRITO and, according to his girlfriend, the AL PASTOR SOFT TACOS were filling and yummy. It was a short drive from the eatery back to my in laws' house, but I was happy to find that my ROLLED TACOS and SHREDDED BEEF TACO were all still very crispy when I ate them. They were delicious, I should add. Service was friendly and fast. We will happily return to Cotija's. read more

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The first time I tried this location I tried their shrimp al mojo de ajo burrito and as a garlic lover, I loved it! I was nearby the other day and I wanted to give another menu option a try so I went with a california burrito, while my partner tried their surf and turf burrito. My partner said the burrito was great, they just wished the shrimp was more dispersed so each bite could have more shrimp and beef at the same time. As for my burrito, there was no salsa/pico de gallo in my burrito and it lacked that freshness and flavor so bad. I've eaten a lot of cali burritos in my life so my assumption was that it was a mistake. However, I did enjoy the meat a lot because it was plentiful, not fatty at all, and perfectly seasoned. It was just a lot of carbs and meat lacking those extra flavors. Next time I'll probably stick to their shrimp burrito, but still a nice spot nonetheless and they have good daily specials! read more

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Worst breakfast burrito I've ever had... Hot sauce is nasty They don't listen I said bacon she gave me ham 0/10 don't go here

My California Burrito was skinny, full of fries, every bite was just tortilla. I threw it away. Over prices for a half sized burrito. I don't get how they have 4 stars. The burrito was dry and had no flavor read more

I miss this place so much! I used to live off their chicken burritos. Love their rolled tacos, can't find anything close to these where I live now. I knew I had to stop by for some while I'm in town. read more

Cotijas Mexican Food - Rolled tacos - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

So this is a walk up dive spot, with some outside seating available. There were people ahead of me and a good amount came after. Always a good sign. We ordered an assortment of things to try.... The pollo asada quesadilla was dry and bland, the carnitas were so bad we spit them out. Made in corn tortillas (gag) and soggy. The meat wasn't very flavorful. However the redeeming items were the burritos. The surf and turf was delicious with plenty of both surf and turf, and the "devil" shrimp burrito was good and had a nice kick. All food is prepared to order but didn't take very long and the girl at the window was pleasant and patient while we looked over the menu. read more

I usually aim for the fish burrito, it's always amazing and the taste is addicting. The prices here are amazing for how big the portions are. Small environment, sometimes it gets warm/humid. Service is quite quick, I recommend calling in beforehand. Everyone is friendly. read more

The food is pretty decent. It's not the best taco shop but I enjoy it usually a few times a month. You can not beat their prices. It's still has pre covid prices. read more

Love their combo plates ! The tomales are so delicious that it's filling and I want more! I'd go there during the day if I can afford to! Just spending when I can! Not too far from dr.'s office! read more

I love this place! Their beans are on point and, the customer service is excellent. I usually get the bean and cheese burritos

Ok so when in San Diego, Lemon Grove area you must come in and try this fast food Mexican restaurant. LA has nothing that even comes close to the authentic flavors this place has. My partner loves the Surf and Turf burrito and I love their Chile Relleno burrito and the rolled tacos. My aunt likes the Machaca burrito. I wish their rice and beans were better buT if you have the bean and cheese burrito it's great! I Always come by here when in town. read more

Bean and cheese burrito was tasty! Would go again. Veggie burrito is good just needs some hot sauce or fries. Will always be a customer.

Rolled tacos are fire, bean burrito is really good but huge. Carne asada burrito is delicious. Only downfall is the area is super sketch read more

Love their food. Gabe is a great employee, been there for many many years. Maria, the manager is wonderful. Met the owner this week. Very nice person. I've been going to this Cotijas for 30 years. Always love their food. Never a complaint. When my family comes over, Cotijas is the place we pick up food. I had a poor experience with a new employee there. The manager and the owner handled it professionally and kindly. This employee has only been there for a few months. Most of their employees have worked for them for years. Way to go Cotijas in Lemon Grove! Thank you for supporting our community. We need more good businesses like yours in our city. read more