This place is one of the oldest and top 3 mexican restaurants in santee in my book. They have both dine in and carryout. If you want carryout you have the option of going inside and ordering carryout from the counter or they have a window outside you can get to go orders from. They have quite a large menu. I prefer either their Carne Asada quesidilla which has plenty of cheese of their rolled tacos. My wife says their bean and cheese burritos are really good but I am not a big fan of beans. This place has never messed up my order, the staff always aims to please, and they are very quick in getting the orders out. read more

Have had better Mexican food. We ordered a veggie burrito and a cheese enchilada. The veggie burrito was ok but sombreros or roberto's is a lot better. The cheese enchilada was just bad. It was just a tortilla with shredded cheese on top and the sauce was awful. Service every time I've been here the people give attitude like they don't wanna work, probably wont be coming back. read more

Great little taco shop in a not so frequented part of town. They have a solid salsa bar and make a good BRG (beans rice guac) burrito. If you are working in the nearby vicinity, you need to come here more often. read more

When I was a bachelor, I used to eat here almost every night. I'd get my two tacos w/rice and beans to-go. I was addicted. I'm glad it's still there. We live in Florida, now, but when we visit we always try to make it to Cotija's. Great Mexican food. read more

Three words: Fish Rolled Tacos. I'm serious. If you like fish tacos and you like taquitos.... this is your place. The Carne Asada is awesome too. Everything is cooked to order so it takes a little while but it's totally worth it. read more

Here's the prob, I love the people that run this place so it breaks my heart to give them 2 stars. But I recently got food poisoning from there and I can't get over it and go again. The quality used to be top notch with their carne asada and other meat, now I can taste a real difference. May just be I had a bad experience, but the rest of my family got a bit sick too so we stopped going there after 12 years. Sorry! read more

So their tortas are really really REALLY good, but we've been less than impressed with the rest of their food. My husband had sopes the last time we went and the dough was really hard; almost like it had been frozen and then microwaved too long. I ordered nachos (my guilty pleasure) and was really sad to see they were served with "plastic cheese" just like I'd get in 7-11. I'd expected real cheese coming from a place like this. Basically it was chips, nacho cheese, and sour cream. It was disgusting and made me feel bad about my life. Everyone seemed to be eating burritos so maybe those are a good bet, but I think we'll stick to the tortas. read more

Holy tacos, batman. These seriously ARE hands-down, some of the best tacos that I've ever had. And some of the best carne asada. And truly, some of the best hot sauce ever. It's a walk-up joint. Get over here and get your taco on. Oh, and by the way. I love that f*ckin guacamole that they put on their rolled tacos. Oh yeah, baby. That's some good stuff. -g read more

What I like: 1. Grilled shrimp tacos. You have to eat it immediately. If you wait, the corn tortilla gets soggy from the sauce and the veggies. I love seafood tacos. 2. Rice - I always order an extra side of rice because I love rice and not so much the re-fried beans. Their rice is tasty. 3. Peppers and turnips - I enjoy their condiment selection for when we order steak burritos. 4. Horchata - he always orders this sweet drink because it reminds him of his childhood. I can do with out sugary drinks. 5. Convenience - they have a walk up window where you order and wait. There is a decent number of parking spaces. It is located next to a 7 Eleven. What's great is that Mary's Donuts is just across the way. 6. Cheap. This is a great place to get an inexpensive lunch. They have a large menu with great specials. 7. Fast and friendly staff. I've never had a problem with service. I've only eaten inside the restaurant once and it was clean. It consists of booths and small tables. It's not a huge dining area. It's always busy during lunch time. What I don't like: 1. It's located off a busy street, so when you are leaving (turning onto Mission Gorge and heading towards the 125). read more

Of the numerous taco shops in San Diego, this by far is my favorite. Its cheap and heavy food. Personal recommendation for breakfast is "Hash Brown Burrito" this has your basic breakfast burrito ingredients, but they add a dab of sour cream...this keeps the cheese from melting in with the egg, sausage and bacon items. Use the green salsa liberally and enjoy a slice of heaven here on earth. Lunch/Dinner is the "Crazy Combo #20", you get a fat ass carne asada burrito, 3 rolled tacos with guacamole and a small drink. All for $6.49. I don't know but its a lot for a little at Cotijas Only con (and my cardiovascular system disagrees) is that its not open 24 hours. read more

Huge portions for a reasonable price. Surf and turf burrito is bomb, id suggest no lettuce though unless you like soggy lettuce. Also got a fish taco and they make it reallly saucy, good amount of cabbage, overall the fish taco was good but not great. read more

Cotijas Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

It shares ad time with their name on the sign, so of course the shrimp burrito was a no-brainer. Not sure about world famous, but plenty-tasty, nonetheless. They feature a sizable flour tortilla, wrapped around rice, shrimp, pico de gallo and mayo sauce. The ingredients play nice and make for one scrumptious burrito I wouldn't mind coming back for. On another occasion I had the shrimp quesadilla. It reminded me why I don't like quesadillas- absolutely too cheesy for my palette, but I wanted to try something new and I loved the meaty shrimp from the burrito. The Q does look huge, though, sitting on the plate with two big pieces waiting for me to peel it open. Alas, I was disappointed with the reveal- a meager amount of shrimp. They looked rather lonely and definitely in need of more shrimp friends in there to be happy. And, for me to be happy too! 4 miles from the crib and open til 11 on weekdays, midnight on Fri & Sat. Yo diablo shrimp burrito, I'm coming back for you! read more

This is my "oh god I need greasy awesome Mexican food and I need it NOW" place. The location is convenient for me, the prices are good, the food is tasty and it's open 24 hours. Excellent. The bistek ranchero (combo #17) is very good, as are the quesadillas and bean burritos. I'd skip the carnitas though: they're rather greasy and crunchy, with not much good meat to be had. However, the rest is good. read more

This is one taco shop that has seafood you can trust and is amazing! The shrimp quesadilla is to die for though you may need a frined to help eat it :) I love love this place! I have not had a bad or even so-so meal here! read more

Came here for a late night dinner with brother and sister tonight. A great place to go to for some good mexican food...anything carne asada is great...they cook it when ordered, which is awesome...makes the meat not tough and chewy...every time i've gone here, every visit has not been a disappointment. The outside looks like a hole in the wall, but hey...some of the best eateries are a hole in the wall type of place. They are currently remodeling with new paint, fixtures, and what not....so it should be good. read more

It use to be Good.but everything has gone down. The quality of the food.the Portions have been reduced, Only the Price has gone up big time.They have no shame,what so ever, and then there is your Customer service, which to begin with they definitely lack.They have no sense of manners especially this 1 Mexican guy in his late 20s or early 30s about 5.8 he is lite completed has Horrible customer service Never is nice or Smiles . always with an attitude & rude at times,me & my family of 5 all agree on this 1 individual. You all Need to learn manners & customer service maybe take some classes. And there is also this 1 young girl in her mid 20s, short, a little over weight that also has a rude attitude, it's like we got to pay u xtra $ just to be nice.We been coming here for over 11yrs & this 1 lite completed guy never welcomes us or a simple Hello.Very Poor Business ethics. You all otta be ashame!! read more

It's always crowded for a reason. Here's my order : two shrimp tacos for here. When you can eat them on site they're always very hot and super delicious. I run over to 7-Eleven next door to get a cheaper drink after I order and then return to pick up my food. I've tried shrimp tacos at other Cotija's and they're nowhere NEAR as good as these guys'. The staff is very polite too and they're always accommodating. I drive from University City to eat this food so it's gotta be good! read more

I've been going here for ever, the staff is friendly and the service is pretty speedy. Best breakfast and California burritos. I always buy medium size cups of their hot sauce and put it on everything.yummy! If you're looking for real Mexican food check em out. Minus one star for poor bathrooms. read more

You can never go wrong with cotijas. My favorite Mexican taco shop by far in santee. Love the carne asada fries and the carne asada burrito

came here for lunch the other day and its ok, nothing special about their food or the way it tastes. the guy at the register looked like he was on speed and was all over the place. I ordered a carne asada torta and they bread was decent just a little too think and not enough meat. its the nearest decent mexican fast food place in the area, i probably would come back here again and maybe try somehting else but it wouldnt be my first option. read more

Okay. After eating the THIS: (http://www.yelp.com/biz/vallarta-express-mexican-eatery-san-diego) I can't give this place higher than a 3. The food here doesn't compare to Vallartas but it was nice to pickup before going to the Santee Drive-in Theatre! We grabbed the Surf and Turf fries. Enjoyed them, but we aren't itching to go back. Nice if you're already in the area! read more

SO BOMB! Cotijas is def one of the better Mexican food places in the Santee area. RELIABLE, SAFE, and DELICIOUS - The staff is alway super helpful and nice, and their food is usually a good step above boring. The dine-in hot sauce from behind the counter is the perfect complement to their burritos / tacos. Shrimp Diablo Burrito, El Grande Burrito, California Burrito, Machaca Burrito, Beef Tacos, it's all great!! I don't think I've ever had a meal here that didn't hit the spot. read more

My first time eating at this location. I work all over San Diego, but had to stop here today. Bad choice. Hands down the worst roll tacos I ever had in my whole entire life . I ate only one because I was starving and took a bite on the second one hoping that it would taste better. It was just as bad I had to spit it out. They tasted old and had almost no meat . Yuck . I was eating and driving so I couldn't take them back 3 hours later and still have the taste of old corn tortilla taste . I must have pick the worst thing on the menu. read more

Cotijas Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Best fish tacos ever!!!!! The only place I bring my out of town family to straight from the airport. " Mexican food "they said! I I brought them here first stop before the hotel! Delish ! Never a let down what ever time of day it is... Customer for life ! read more

Cotijas Taco Shop - Out of town family demands Mexican food ! I bring them here! - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Definitely was not expecting to write such a good review for this place! My mom worked in santee for 15 years and loves this place. I was skeptical when we drove up and it was next to a gas station... The waiters were wonderful and gave us free refills and extra cheese without charging us! I ordered chicken fajitas and was shocked by the huge portion. The chicken was sweet and all the toppings were delicious. Only improvements that can be made are better guac and I've had better tortillas... But for what it cost and what we got out of it was definitely worth it! My mom got the rolled chicken tacos and loved it. Even got some extra green sauce to go! read more

First time visiting Cotijas while in Santee. We had a hankering for Mexican food and turned to Yelp for guidance. Cotijas was great! We ordered a variety of items--carnitas burrito, enchilada platter, fish burrito, bean, cheese & rice burrito. Everything was very tasty and full of flavor. We liked it so much, we returned again 2 days later! read more

This place is my favorite taco shop! There food is always cooked fresh and is so good. The workers have been here for years and are kind, friendly and move quick. I really like that they have both options of nacho cheese and regular cheese for things like carne Asada fries, nachos, etc. Their carne asada is always tender with lots of flavor. My go to order is the carne asada taco plate with creamy guacamole. There nachos are really good too and so are all their breakfast burritos read more

We go there all the time! Thought Lemon Grove was good but this one is the best by far!!! I don't recall paying any less or any more just know this food is delicious. I try different things everytime and have never been disappointed. The California is the burrito with the fries in it. There is always a slice of lemon on the side of the wrapper with sea food- just look before you eat it (: Again no one likes to be treated like an idiot and I can always count my change, maybe a better way to handle it is just say this may be a mistake... I love Cotijas in Santee it gets my highest rating at 5 stars for being clean, creative. delicious, and having an awesome staff. It is always busy and with good reason read more

OMG!!!!! I just catered my fathers 80th birthday Party for 60 guests and the food from this shop was outrageous!!! I don't even know where to begin. So I will start with the meat, the carnitas were so tender and the flavor was outstanding, carne asada was very tender and the peices of meat were cut so it was easy to serve,and pollo asada was seasoned just right and also very tender. They made sure we had enough of all the fixings from tortillas to guacamole and everything in between. Three different kinds of sauce and all the rice and beans you could eat!!! We have eaten here many times and are always satisfied with our visit so I thought we would try thier catering sevice. The food was cooked fresh for the occasion, when we got there they were just finishing up the chips and carnitas. It was all in nice trays and the chips were in buckets. Everyone at the party raved about the food and how good it was. wanted to know who we had gotten to cater so I hope lots of people will use them!!! I WILL DEFINITELY BE USING THEM AGAIN!!! THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY FATHERS 80TH SPECIAL!!!!! read more

I love this taco shop! They are so awesome! Fast, tasty and they have good sized portions! Best in town!

Went here on Friday night, I ordered a Gordita. If ever order a Gordita you have to get it with all the fixing. Yes it will be messy" u need a fork and lots of napkins. I'm glad I only ordered one, it was bigger than I expected and with everything on it very fulfilling. I did get the beef one" but they had chicken as well. It was actually very good. I was hesitant but my friends wanted to go there. They had rolled tacos they said were very good. The employees were very nice, and for a busy night they worked fast. I make gorditas and tacos all the time, so I'm a hard critic. I liked it, not loved it. It's good for pick up. Eating there made me nervous. Lots of loud people most likely cuz it was a late Friday night after party munchies time. There was people being rediculous with their cars outside driving like it was a race track. It was annoying. read more

Stopped in for breakfast before hiking up Cowles. We loved the huevos Mexicana and there was more than enough to share 1 order. Service was friendly and fast. Inside dining is cute and clean. Bathroom out back is nice but needed resupply and refresh on this Sunday AM. We plan to make Cotija's a regular stop when we are out that way for a hike. read more

The guys are great!!! Super yummy food. Chicken rolled tacos are BOMB- not to mention their beef tacos are to die for

My favorite taco shop in San Diego. Their prices are getting a little high (minus 1 star)but they have bomb-ass food! Great carne asada fries and the shrimp diablo burrito is incredible. Great service always, the guy at the counter is always friendly. Anyone who rated this place under 4 stars is completamente estupido. I have been going here for 10 years, have eaten all over San Diego and this is the best. We have had out of state friends order 10 burritos and freeze them to take home. read more

This is some good mexican food. Try the delicious burrito's or the tostada's!! Love it!

Very good food I must say! I mean, I know it is super difficult to find a good mexican place in SD (do you hear the sarcasm in my voice yet?)...anyways this place is very good. Went there with a couple of friends and the bf. We ordered a cali burrito, bfast burrito, and an order of rolled tacos. Everything was fresh and hot, and the carne asada had a lot of flavor, as did their red salsa. Very good, not to spicy (at least for me) and had a nice garlicky (yes, that's a word!) flavor to it. Not a huge fan of rolled tacos, but they were very good. Bfast burrito I didn't try but my friend said that he would for sure come back and get it again. read more

BURRITOS. Up there with the best for taco shops. Burritos are a better bet over the plate dishes but everything is solid. Salsa bar is nice too. read more

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Delicious and fast! This place has lots of ashy lights in front but don't be fooled. This place is great. My boyfriend and I as usual were craving Mexican food so we decided to stop by here. It took literally 5-10 minutes for our ordered and was given complimentary chips while we waited. I was worried the food wouldn't be good but luckily this place was amazing. That or I was really hungry. The service was good, the place was clean and the food was superb. The food was more than I could eat and the portions were well worth the money you put in. I was a little disappointed in the sauce. I'm a sauce person and love isn't spice, unfortunately their sauce did not cut it for me. Hope this helps! read more

Cotijas Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

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Whenever I get asked where did I go to lunch at, and I say "Cotija's" every one knows that the HASHBROWN BURRITO is all I get!! It's the best $5 i spend any day!! 4 STARS just for the HASHBROWN BURRITO alone! the extra STAR is for their CHUNKY SALSA!! What more can you ask for in a breakfast burrito? Cheese, Eggs, Hashbrowns, Sausage AND Bacon... and top it with Sour Cream! I think its the sour cream that makes this burrito THEEEEE BEST BREAKFAST BURRITO i ever ate. Don't just get the regular red and green salsa's. Get the chunky salsa. I swear this is the best complimentary salsa for the hashbrown burrito. They've got other great stuff there but I truly only go here for the Hashbrown.. that is all!!! read more

Absolutely bomb shrimp burrito! Didn't even realize that was Las Cotijas' claim to fame until I saw it printed on my (also delicious) cup of horchata. Delicious sauce and didn't skimp on the shrimp. Great and friendly customer service (and handsome too, the day I went)! They were giving out free Halloween candy when I went too.. they even told me to take more then one - It's the little things. 5 stars for this lil place. One note: no bathrooms when I went because they seem to be under construction. Ended up washing my hands with a lot of my sanitizer and napkins. Wouldn't let that affect my review though. Keep that in mind! read more