If you love authentic regional Mexican food, El Ruizenor Grill is an absolute gem. This is the kind of small business you feel good supporting--deeply rooted in tradition, made with care, and run with heart. Deborah, the owner, is incredible and truly passionate about sharing Oaxacan cuisine the right way. You can feel that intention in every dish. The guacamole is fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced--simple ingredients, done right. Their Oaxacan horchata deserves special recognition: lighter, more nuanced, and less cloying than the typical version, with a flavor profile that feels thoughtful and refreshing rather than overly sweet. This was also my first time trying chapulines, and it couldn't have been a better introduction. Knowing they're sourced directly from Oaxaca adds so much meaning to the experience. Earthy, savory, and surprisingly approachable--an authentic taste of regional tradition that you don't find easily. El Ruizenor Grill isn't just a restaurant--it's a cultural experience. If you appreciate food with history, integrity, and soul, this spot in Temple City is a must-visit. I'll absolutely be back. read more

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First time eating at this place. I was looking for some good Mexican breakfast. Nice quiet place. I ordered green chili chilequiles with a chumparado. The gave me chips and red salsa. The only bad thing was that it tasted more like a can of tomato sauce. It wasnt spicy at all. Very bland. The chilequiles with rice and beans were good except that the cook made my eggs well done instead of sunny side up. They looked like pancakes on the bottom of the egg. Anyways, loved tge chumpurado. The best I've had in a long time. They serve it in a cute coffee mug. Overall, not bad. I may go back for the presentation and price read more

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My third time enjoying El Ruizeñor Grill, they have the most delicious chicken mole, chili rellenos,, and chilaquiles. A cozy family run business, serving authentic Oaxacan dishes. Staff are very sweet and accommodating, parking is a breeze, and menu is a taste from home. Looking forward to my next dine in experience. read more

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Great food. Nice chill little spot. My favorite dish was the strawberry chimichanga. I've never had anything like it. Very delicious!!! The staff is super friendly. I will definitely be back. read more

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Had the most delicious dinner here recently and I can not wait to come back and bring my family even though it's a little out of the way for us. The food was PHENOMENAL. It's hard to find authentic, delicious, and fresh tasting Oaxacan food so I feel like I hit the jackpot. I'm a mole connesseuer and even have tried making my own and I could never find or get it right. The one here is out of this world perfect. I'm dreaming of when I should return just for the mole! Was also blown away by their Oaxacan horchata which is a creamy horchata with bits of melon and walnut. May sound a bit odd but trust me it was so delish. Their potato tacos were perfect, their tslayuda (spelling?) was something unique I've never heard before. The owner explained they get their tostada masa direct from Oaxaca! How special is that! Also said many of their ingredients, spices, and herbs come direct from Oaxaca as well. Please give this place a try, I promise you'll be adding it to your fave restaurant rotation! read more

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First time ordering here through Uber Eats , it was amazing. I am recovering from surgery and the Caldo de pollo was perfection . Arrived warm and delicious will definitely order from them again .. had to leave a review read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Caldo De Pollo - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California

Stop by because we were trying to find something we hadn't tried before. We, was my son and I. So we wanted to try a little bit of everything some new and familiar dishes. We tried the house made Horchata, my son was not a fan because it was a little too sweet and watery for him. He liked the taquito, and left when it got hollowed out. He said it was really tasty and salty that fits his palette. The salsa for the chips was not spicy for my taste. I think it's good for people who can't handle spice and kids. However, they did offer some great spicy sauces for their plates. The dark red sauce and the green sauce both packed heat and great flavor. The Menudo I ordered was rich and tasty. Ordered the Oaxaca taco, it was different, but it was so well seasoned overall my son and I both like splitting it. The one item that I don't have picture posted was the grasshoppers, yes, I do mean grasshoppers. My husband and I are both adventurous eaters, and when we went to Japan, the ones we tried were sweet and salty, this one was not our favorite because it was a little too salty and tangy from the lemon juice. However, overall, the service was great. I love the fact that the ladies were very helpful and their recommendations. The place was clean and did not have a lot of loud music, so we were able to have good conversation and enjoy our time together. We will definitely be coming again to try some other dishes as well. I would recommend try and get at least once. We always like to try new things, so we would suggest trying something you know and something different. read more

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Cuisine is Mexican and Oaxaca and nicely prepared. Complimentary basket of tortilla chips with a mild-sweet salsa are delivered to the table as we settled in to order our beverages . Server gave us time to peruse the menu to decide what to order. Our choices were filling and flavorful: horchata, margarita, quesadilla, caldo de res, grilled fish plate. We dined-in and enjoyed the pleasant, cheerful decor and the background music. Street parking in front of the restaurant was available on a Sunday evening. The rear parking lot is somewhat dark and the back entrance is locked. read more

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Absolutely a must try place . They have regular Horchata or Oaxaca's Horchata ,ask for a sample. Service was excellent the girls are so helpful and sweet and very patient since I was new to the restaurant and menu. Had the Mole plate ,10/10 and the Tlayuada w/2 meats another 10/10 this plate to traditional and fun to eat. I've had it at other restaurants and this is by far super delicious and great flavor ,the steak meat nice and soft and the chorizo great flavor. The best thing about this restaurant is their Chips ....... 100/100 so perfectly crispy and addicting! Salsa is great perfect balance of flavor. Can't wait to come back for breakfast. Ambiance is inviting. read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Mole plate - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California

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Delicious lunch! Enjoyed a wonderful breakfast burrito with chorizo. My dining partners enjoyed a tostada salad and something vegetarian that looked amazing . Excellent service, no crowd, convenient location, very, very clean! read more

The food at El Ruizeñor Grill is absolutely delicious! They provided fantastic food service which made our meal here even more special. It was the perfect evening set in a fun and festive ambiance. Definitely will be coming back! read more

Updating my review. Not only does this place have delicious food, the workers here are so kind and went out of their way to help when we had an incident during the visit. No Taco Tuesday today as today is Thursday. I took home 3 tacos after my meal even at regular price because they are so worth the price! I took a pic of their Happy Hours specials (see attached) so may be back soon for their other yummy items at discount! read more

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The food was awesome and the staff super nice so it is a win win. Try it, you won't be disappointed!! read more

Although the food was good, the service is severely laking, if I am paying $4.00 I shouldn't have to beg or even ask for refills. Listening to the server tell us how busy she was with only 4 tables in use. Very disappointing read more

Cute little family owned restaurant, the ambiance was nice with nice music at a right volume (some other places have very loud music, glad this was not like that). The ladies serving were very friendly and attentive, we enjoyed our meal. Their restrooms were very cleaned. We'll be back to try other dishes! read more

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Decided to have dinner after work and came to el ruizeñor Grill..it's a mom a pops Mexican restaurant .. the inside is pretty big they have a lot of seating available inside and out. They have so many options in their meñu to choose from.. we went ahead and started with a guacamole for appetizer and they served us chips and salsa while we wait.. the salsa was so good.. and I'm not a fan of table salsa like that. The ingredients in the salsa tasted like it was made at home. Afterwards the guac came and oof ! The first thing I noticed was how huge the serving size was... the second thing I noticed was how delicious it was and well salted . I ordered the chille relleno and 2 tacos d asada since it was taco Tuesday they were $1.50 so I decided to dump my meat on top of my chille relleno.. it did not disappoint. Chile relleno was nicely made, my boyfriend ordered a torta d asada and it was served with fries. His torta was so huge! It had lettuce tomato cheese and avocado served on a real torta bread . We both tried the horchata .. and it was definitely different .. it had a fruity yet milky taste to it not bad at all ..the ladies working there were so nice and polite they were very attentive and made the experience great and also they took the time To explain how the horchata was made ... it's actually the fruit of the cactus we're drinking.. plot twisted me lol ... definitely give them a try! read more

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Food was amazing and service was great. The portions are large. We ordered menudo and enmoladas. Highly recommend!

Excellent service very attentive. The food was delicious and love the presentation. This is a hidden gem . My favorite was the cafe de olla not overwhelming sweet but just right . I had the trio chilaquiles and my husband had enchiladas. read more

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So much better than Cafe de Olla and any other new joint around. Food taste so delicious and worker is so sweet. It is a smaller joint but def worth it read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Mole chilaquiles hot chocolate and chips - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California

Wow, I didn't know that there was such a delicious Mexican restaurant so close to home! My dad has been wanting to try this restaurant ever since he saw someone eating a HUGE BURRITO here in passing. The interior is decorated with Mexican art and famous people painted on the walls. We came during Christmas time so they also had a tree and other nativity scenes displayed. The waitress was super nice as my family wanted to practice our Spanish with her. We ordered the following items: 1) Big Daddy Burrito - 10/10 This was SOOOO HUGE and so cheap. It was $20 and very delicious! There were three of us and we were so full after eating this. The inside was filled with ground beef, rice, beans, potatoes, and cheese. We decided to get both the red and green sauce on top. 2) Oaxacan Tortilla - 8/10 First time trying oaxacan meat and it tasted quite good! I liked how they made the tortilla fresh for you which was a treat 2) Horchata - 6/10 This was SOO big. I didn't expect them to serve it in a huge "wine" cup. However I think there was more ice than actual horchata, and the flavor wasn't too strong. Overall, I'd come back to try the other foods here. Due to the proximity and price, I enjoyed my time! The service was also great. read more

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Delicious Mexican food! Everything was soo flavorful and cooked perfectly. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Their Oaxaca food is excellent. Their servers ask too many questions. But their service is the best.

I haven't been here in a quite a while. We went to dinner with a group of friends. Where the service was adequate this is more of a commentary about food. I had the El Roger burrito and a fish taco. The burrito portion was as I remembered but the filling wasn't the meats were dry and chewy and the beans were salty. I had the red sauce and it tasted different as I remembered, if I was to comment it would be that the sauce may have been a little off. The fish taco was adequate the sauce was very traditional Ensenada Style, the fried fish was a little dark in color maybe the oil was at its last use? My partner had the enchiladas a comment was that the portions were small and the same red sauce as the burrito not to her liking. Another issue was the food temperature maybe they will a little busy the food was not as hot as it should have been. The salsa for the chips was different than I remember not flavorful I asked for something hotter but the didn't have anything much more. If it was the same dining as I remember I would have definitely give at least four stars this trip not so much. read more

The chicken mole was excellent and I LOVE their homemade tortillas. Service is excellent! read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Chicken mole - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California

I went to visit this restaurant because one friend recommended and I love it. The service is great, the food delicious and the ambience cozy and nice. I will coming back read more

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My parents retired so they closed their restaurant after 30 years so I've been looking for a New Mexican food spot. This place is AMAZING. Had the huevos divorciados and upgraded to a mole enchilada (iykyk) and dang was it tasty. Refried beans also delicious. My friend got the arrachera chilaquiles huge serving and great food. Service amazing and friendly. cafe de olla to die for. Will definitely be coming back read more

Service was a little slow, since they are understaffed but the food was amazing. I would HIGHLY recommend anything with their mole. The mole they have is delicious and just amazing. Would definitely be back read more

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant and we usually get the same thing since we really love it. The chicken floutas are excellent as is the carnitas tacos. Toss in a couple of churros and we're all set. Very nice people who work there also. Excellent service. read more

This place takes pride in their food. You can tell everything is homemade and made with love. I ordered the 3 item combo ... chicken flauta, beef taquito, and cheese enchilada... came with rice and beans side of guacamole and sour cream... everything was excellent.! Hubby ordered the pescado de mojo de ajo... very fresh and fabulous. The agua de guava was the best I have EVER had!! I could have drank a gallon. The chips and salsa were addictive. The service was outstanding and the ambiance was perfect... background music but enjoyable. The staff looks like they love being here. Handmade tortillas. Will definitely be back!!! read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Combo plate.. pescado de mojo de ajo and complimentary chips and salsa.. everything fantastic!!! - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California

My wife and I love this place! Great service! We come here all the time!!!! This is our go to Mexican restaurant when we are craving Mexican food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Nice service once again!!! I definitely will be coming back again very soon!!!! Much love and support as always!!!!!!! Xoxo read more

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Chicken and Asada Nachos were very good as was everything else that we ordered. Big Daddy burrito was a monster. read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Chicken and Asada Nachos. - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California

This spot is a great little gem in Temple City, with great food and great service. From the tacos to taquitos everything we have tried was very tastey and the salsa's are bomb, you try it and you be the judge, I highly recommend this place. read more

This is a great mom and pop restaurant, great atmosphere and service. Food is pretty good, I've never had a bad experience here and of course bonus points for making their own fresh salsa. The servers are always polite and frequently top up your drink . My favoritite dish is the enchilada plate read more

Small space with friendly and attentive service. Small outdoor seating area with street view. Dog and kid friendly. Food was good, the molcagete was good and saucy, everything was well seasoned. The salsa verde pork was good, the tampiqueña steak was thin lacking seasoning. The Tlayuda was too dry and the tazajo meat it came with was just ok. read more

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Food was great and hot and ready when we ordered for pick up the last few times! We're happy to have good Mexican food in our city!!

The food is so amazing. I went today for their taco Tuesday, had happy hour nacho and beer. I tried crickets for the first time, tasted so amazing, lots of flavor!! The atmosphere is wonderful and the two women who were there working today, I didn't catch their names, but amazing customer service. They make you feel at home. They're very kind. read more

Great food, great service! Family run business that welcomes you with a smile and excellent service. Nothing beats this French toast platter! Hands down, it is so delicious. read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Alambres - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California

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Came here with my mom and my aunt yesterday. It was our very first time here and we all loved it. The ambience was great very clean. The music was awesome and the food.... delicious. My mom and my aunt are already planning to come back again. I would definitely recommend this place which I already did to a friend and now she wants to try it. So to the restaurant, keep up the good work and extra kudos to the chef and waitress great service. Food again was delicious. read more

Drive by and saw this. Usually for any authentic oaxacan food. I have to drive to Covina for it since I live in Arcadia but this place is literally 5 min away from my house. How is it that I never saw this before. Well still breakfast and seeing what we enjoy here...... The food was delicious, I got the enfrijolada with tasajo and my kids got the tlayuda veggie. They loved it. The service was fast and very attentive on getting our refill. The whole decor of the place was nice, they even sell some traditional gifts. read more

El Ruizeñor Grill - Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Temple City, California