The food was good when we finally got service. They do not have enough servers and it has been the same situation each time we have gone during dinner time. This past Tuesday at 5:30, I had to finally get up and search for a server to order drinks and no one checked on us to see if we wanted another drink or dessert or even the bill! We had to actually stand up and get ready to go to get anyone to notice us. read more

Always good, many choices to from. More than a burger place. Staff with a great attitude, always checking in. This is our go to place to eat. read more

The environment is great. Especially the outdoors in front of the park on a Friday when they have Music on Main!! The service was mediocre at best. I asked the hostess if we could sit outside and she sent me across the sidewalk to wait for a different hostess, so she could send me and told me they had their own hostess for outdoor service. The waitress was nice enough but took forever to come by and take our order, and even longer for the food to arrive. Luckily, we weren't in a hurry. The music was good to listen to. The food is terribly priced for what you. $24 for a steak salad, but the steak had no flavor whatsoever. It probably dried out in the fridge while waiting days or weeks to be ordered. Now, since the location was good and you spend a while there anyway, I might try it again; but only for guac & chips with a cold beer. That should be pretty good. read more

First time here before a concert at the Magnolia and it was a great vibe! The place was packed with a live '80s rock band called ROCK OF AGES, making it a fun Friday night. Service was a little slow, but expected with the crowd. The appetizers were good, and the drinks were refreshing. Great spot to hang out before a concert! read more

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The food was good and the service was good too. Food came out in a good amount of time and was cooked to perfection. Ordered the Fish And Chips Plate & The BBQ Chicken Flatbread With A Salad & I Must Say That I Will Be Back Off those two plates alone. Pretty solid starter choices. They had a live band playing too. read more

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I recently went here with my family who wanted to hear a live band and try somewhere different. Personally, I am not really into the type of music they played, so the band wasn't my favorite part, but I could see how others who enjoy that style would love it. It is a lively and happy place. The food was good, though not exactly what I'd choose if I were dining on my own or with some friends for an evening out. I ordered the club sandwich, and it was tasty. The vibe is definitely super casual, so dress accordingly. The service was outstanding. I felt a little overdressed, but it wasn't a big deal. The best part for me was connecting with my family and enjoying time together in a relaxed setting. Overall, it was a good experience, especially if you're looking for a casual spot with live music and a different scene. read more

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This is a long-standing Mexican restaurant a short walk across the street to The Magnolia Theatre. My buddy and I went here prior to a concert. This is one of the older style Mexican restaurants that has a large bar seating at the bar as well as behind the bar at tables and a large indoor outdoor covered patio area for dining. It's a cool place to visit and it has good Mexican food. Service is what's variable. Sometimes you get quick service and sometimes you get service that takes forever. Today the service was average with us having to wait about 10 minutes to place our drink order. I had their Carnitas tacos and my buddy had the same. They got great tasting Carnitas and that's a dish that I can recommend. They have happy hour and they have a significant number of microbrew beer on tap. There is plenty of parking around the restaurant on the street and a paid parking lot behind. If you're looking for some decent Mexican food and a great brew or margarita, before the concert, this is a great place to try. read more

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We came here last Saturday night as they were playing 80's rock and rock ballads. Alot of the Golden Gangs were dancing and having a great time. Very fun to people watch and drink at the same time. Very convenient to the Courtyard Marriot property as we just walked about 5 to 10 minutes. We just ordered appetizers and drinks, very chill. The band plays at the outdoor patio which the weather was cool and not so hot. Service was reliable and friendly. read more

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Mom and dad loved this place! Here on a Saturday night and they had a live band playing 80s - my fav. Waitress was fantastic, loved her twang accent. Dad dug right into his steak sandwich and mom loved her fish and chips. I had French onion soup and 1/2 tuna sandwich which was ok. Both my folks happy, that's a win! read more

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We stopped by before a concert here at the Magnolia. It's not a bad alternative to buying drinks as the Magnolia charges double for canned beers and other drinks. This looks like it could be a fun place during a happy hour as we heard live music being played. I caught the tail end of a Padres game so it turned out to be a decent hour of beer and sports. I heard El Cajon is trying to turn its Main Street into an entertainment district. This place could be one of its flagship spots due to its sheer restaurant and bar size alone. read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - Bar area - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

Had to seat myself no hostess... finally 2 waitresses but they just sat down with older customers. Sat for 10 minutes before was acknowledged for food. Some with me tried to find a manager but could not be found??? read more

Marcia was very attentive and had good recommendations. Thank you. Happy hour midday - what!! Lucky me! Food was good, had the happy hour burger.. great size for me. Bright (for a bar), clean, and good vibes. read more

We recently found this hidden gem because our previous option was closed. I have to say it was a blessing in disguise. We were attending a show at The Magnolia and not familiar with this area decided to give it a shot since it was right next door. It seemed to be a highly popular spot as was very crowded but they sat us immediately and the service was good and quick which we really appreciated the menu is extensive and something for everyone really. Now I wasn't expecting much since the reviews were just average. I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the shrimp enchiladas and my Huz ordered the shrimp fajitas. Both were big plates my Huz loved all the vegetables that were given that you normally don't see in a fajita but he said they were outstanding and came with a large portion of black beans which he said were very tasty. My enchiladas were stuffed well and were also very tasty. My rice was good and the salsa they give was super yummy. This will be our new spot when attending shows here. So glad we found it. BTW there is ample free street parking in front and a massive lot in the rear areas. Theres also live music on the big outdoor patio area and a cute bar and nice big indoor restaurant. read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - Fajitas w black beans - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

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First timer here attending a retirement party on a Saturday evening. The SouthBay Band was playing and they had everyone on their feet dancing. There were about 190 RSVPd guests and ample seating. It was a buffet of carnitas and fish tacos with all the sides and trimmings. It was a task keeping the iced water filled but they did a pretty good job. Service was attentive. friendly, and pretty accommodating. I would consider this restaurant and band for future large gatherings. read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

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If you like the 80's music, you can enjoy their food, sit, relax, and enjoy listening to the band. Shout out to the bass player - Ryan! read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - The Band! - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

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We showed up as a group of 3 and wanted to sit outside to enjoy the music, the hostess greeted us and gave us a dirty look when we asked to sit outside. Quote from the hostess,"we're too busy to wipe down a table", and there were several tables open that were dirty from previous guests. Terrible look and not the type of first impression anyone working at a restaurant should make. Yikes read more

Great Carnitas Tacos and great shrimp and crab enchiladas. Ice cold tasty selection of beers. Quick service.

Best Happy Hour in El Cajon! We've been coming to Downtown Cafe for twenty years. I love their patio and live music on the weekend. A great place to bring the kids. Today, we happened by for a late lunch and DC had just opened. ( 2:00 pm ) Which also is the start of happy hour. They have a ton of great beers but today, this is about the food. We had a cheeseburger for $4.75, yea that's not a typo. Which by the way met my list of best burgers. DELISH. My wife and daughter had tacos that we're also spot on. We had the steak salad ( not on happy hour ) and wow, the steak cooked to perfection. What a great late lunch. read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - Burger/steak salad/taco. - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

A great place to come to before a show the nearby Magnolia Theater. It's close and a great happy hour although it ends at 5:30 PM. We had the happy hour beers a good selection for $5. I had a Pacifico and my husband had the Moose Drool. We shared the potato skins $3 off at happy hour. I had a good sized fish taco for $5.95 and my husband the cheeseburger for the same price. It doesn't come with any fries but with the potato skins we had plenty. Service was attentive. They have a live band on Friday & Saturday. I've gone a few times and it's always a good time. read more

We went to hear the band The Exit. Happy hour is just before the band played and we got the cafe quesadilla and carne asada flatbread. The food was good. We ordered beer and wine. Service was good. The problem was at 7:50 the check is dropped. I saw another patron have to go to the bar inside to order a beer. The band played until 9:00. I had a second glass of wine and my husband had ordered another beer. We got up to dance and at 8:40 the half a glass I had not finished and my husbands beer were removed without us realizing. I had my bag on the table. Seems they expect everyone to leave before the band finishes, which I find odd. I'm sure they'd do more business if they didn't close more than an hour before end of band playing, and don't remove the drink I've bought before I'm done or band has stopped playing. read more

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Drinks were awful. The service was terrible. Had me waiting for a while before I got service

This restaurant has become so disappointing. When they first opened, the food was great so was the service. It didn't last long and has only gotten worse. The service staff are so rude, why?? it doesn't matter whether you call or you're waiting for your food to arrive. They are rude or they don't check on you when eating there. Not sure what that's all about, Maybe it's a horrible work environment. Considering they have live bands there on the weekends, they really need to step up their game or people are not going to want to book their gigs there with such horrible service. Then just found these HEALTH REPORTS posted. read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - Current Health Score hope we aren't getting contaminated food served. - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

Long Island Ice Tea was all lemon & soda - no alcohol. Service was horrible. Bar would not serve us. Told us we couldn't get a drink and would've to be put on a waiting list. Staff was NOT FRIENDLY!!! Food was ok. Band was good. We were here on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Don't waste your time coming here!!! read more

What's special about DTC is how much of a warm, welcoming, local bar and grill it is. No, you won't see the latest art, the fastest trends, or brand new anything- but that's what makes it great! You want classic good food with well poured drinks? Go here. You want a cold beer with the best potato skins? Yup. Come on down. Are you looking for the trendiest bar with petite tapas? Ehhhh not so much. Great live music, good service and a large pet friendly patio is what makes this a must. read more

We had a group of 5 yesterday Our server "Marcia" was OUTSTANDING She was very professional excellent customer service Our food was very tasty and THERE WAS PLENTY We HIGHLY recommend this restaurant!! CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FOOD-A++ read more

First I'll start by saying Paul was a good server. I was impressed that there were 6 people in our group. He took my order I asked questions and he had answes. He didn't write down our orders. This worried me a bit my order was filled out correctly and quickly. I didn't find him to be as friendly or attentive as I like. I cut him some slack as it was his first of waiting on me. I had the soup and sandwich combo. I didn't appreciate spending $14 plus tax and tip for a half sandwich and a cup of soup and no drink. Even with bidenomics it would have been more fair to include a soft drink. I had the BLT and French Onion Soup. The BLT had just the right proportions of B, L, and T. I would have prefered Wheat bread, but no complaints on sourdough. I appreciated that the Tomato was thicker sliced than that of many San Diego BLT. Many times in San Diego the tomato is sliced so thin that it's over powered by lettuce. Not the case today. The bacon was a good quality and cooked crispy as I like.The soup was ok, it came to the table hot. The cheese on top was browned just right. Everyone in our group enjoyed thier meals and drinks. This place has potential to earn a 5 star review. Had Paul been more friendly and attentive, a soft drink been included with the meal, choice of bread on sandwich and had they had an open mic , Karaoke, or a local band playing , and have a loyalty plan in affect, I'd not only award them 5 stars but I'd also visit more often I do reccomend you visit them when you are in El Cajon. read more

We Used to come frequently and everything was great. Treated my family to a nice dinner today and we had the worst experience ever. SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE. Our server did not even come back once. I flagged down another server to let her know I did not get my food and she proceeded to tell me it was on the way. Finally server comes after everybody is done and said "do you guys need anything else.?" I said "no we're good I'll take the bill and also you guys forgot to bring my food." . She just said "oh sorry" Brought me my bill super quickly. Collected payment even quicker ! I wish her service could have been the same. The meals barely had any fries. Never a refill on drinks. Also noticed an extra $2 charge on flat iron bites was snuck on there. Today was the first time in my life that I left a restaurant without tipping. Upon leaving I called the restaurant back and asked to speak to a manager. The answer was "we don't have a manager , we just have an owner and he's not here ! ". I hope you see this ! read more

Suxx we were just there, great music good times. Then a stupid group of people especially one lady told my son to sit down and stop dancing, wtf. Love the band but if the restaurant doesn't do something about these people we will never ever be back and I urge anyone else to not go here either if they don't fix the situation. I told the manager that these bullies think they own the place but they don't. We were all there for a good time and it was messed up. Such a good night ruined by dumb people. I think the mangers name was Gabriel and I really hope he does something about it. We left a tip for the band by the way. Prolly the only ones that left a tip. Stupid people ruined our night. read more

Went with ladies from work. Not too busy as it was after 1pm. The food was great. Between all of us there were burgers, fries, onion rings, salads, and fish and chips. They were having a car show later that day but some of the car owners were in there and you can see their beautiful cars. read more

Food and service is always good !!! Great place to go out with your significant other and dance the night away on Friday and Saturday nights!! read more

This is a cute restaurant located next to the court house in downtown El Cajon . My coworker is a regular here and has been telling me about their happy hour specials and how much he likes it here . I had to check it out . I'm gonna have to agree with him this place is cool . I really enjoyed their $7 Long Island ice tea and $3.50 cheeseburger on happy hour. It was very refreshing. Melanie was our server and she is fantastic. We will be back . read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - $3.50 happy hour cheeseburger. - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

Our server was rude. There were no silverware or napkins on the table. After finally getting one of our two drinks. I asked for some napkins. She finally came back with second drink I asked her for napkins again. Attitude! I said thank you and she said nothing. We get our food, still no silverware. Unfortunately the $7 happy hour margarita was undrinkable. Tasted like pure sweet and sour only. They brought us the wrong food order. They fixed that pretty quick. Potato skins were good. Burger was good, not great. Overall not a good first time visit. read more

Always a great time at Downtown Cafe. Our favorite band is Southbay Band...they attract a fun crowd with their excellent play list. Their BBQ chicken flatbread pizza, wings and pasta are delish along with a pitcher. You'll be return customers like us! read more

Service wasn't the greatest, BUT THE FOOD WAS PHENOMENAL!!! The food came out fast and was PERFECT. Fish & chips & Farmhouse Burger. Nice music playing outside. Not too crowded. I wish I could give 5 stars, but the service was SLOW, and the server was not attentive at all. read more

First time visiting the bar on Friday & greeted in an unfriendly way. Ok... we can't sit near the window- only in back or the bar. Went to bar and not greeted for a while by Delaney for a while. A regular customer came in so after she greeted him, then she acknowledged us. Ok, so we have questions about the menu and beer & she is clearly irritated. Ok, I'm too tired (from painting my house) & hungry do we tolerate all of this and order food and beer. Once food arrives she never came back... and we were short a fork. My husband & I shared a fork and ate fries with no ketchup. We'll never go back even tho we live 2 miles away. read more

Friday July 29th 2022 about 7 pm, I was meeting my co-worker, the band was playing we were party of 7, Place was crowed, our server was Britney. Great personality and very courteous great customer service, I order jalapeno hamburger very tasty and I enjoyed the drink I've been in customer service business for last 15 years, Brittany was outstanding and I gave her very nice tip. Aleasyrider San Diego read more

Downtown Cafe Bar & Grill - Jalapeno hamburger and French fries - American Near Me - El Cajon, California

The band Retro sonic was amazing and the food was great too. Great service. I like the location.

I was invited by friends to get a bite while listening to a band. We were sitting outside. The food and service were very good. The band was excellent. People danced including young children with parents. Good vibrations. read more

My husband and I were looking for a new place to dine. We have been here twice and have received excellent service and food! This is our new favorite. The menu has many different options. There is both inside and outside seating. This is our new favorite place! read more

MOSQUITOES IN THE PATIO!!! I have been here a few times and I always forget that they have Mosquitoes on the patio. Tons of them and the staff does not seem to care. If you sit there in the evening out on the patio, you will get bitten several times. I suggest sitting inside. I have included some natural Mosquito repellents that D.C. may want to embrace. Natural Mosquito Repellents 1. Plant Herbs 2. Use Essential Oils 3. Get Rid of Water 4. Burn Citronella Candles I would still recommend the food and happy hour. The Louisiana wrap is one of the best items on the menu. Be sure to consume the happy hour drinks in the designated bar area or you may receive a tongue lashing from a waitress, whom is also a kindergarten teacher. At more times then less the staff seems annoyed to be working at D.C. For this reason and the Mosquitos, I'm in no hurry to go back. read more

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