Honeslty I'm a local and I know this business is family owned. Just ate there and became the victim of Carla and April's mistakes . They messed up my order and put cheese on there that I specially asked for them not to. Then when I complained Carla got upset because I was being disrespectful when in reality I was being straightforward about how they should be better with service because I'm spending my hard earned dollars there. I asked for no discounts but she insisted on taking the tortillas off because of course we shouldn't have to pay for something we didn't get according to her, thank god. Lol. Anyways I'm not another Karen so I'd definitely take my advice and not eat there because the "manager" Carla can talk to people how she feels and obviously isn't fit to be a manager she's like 18. Doesn't know how to handle situations in the moment and goes based off emotion, is entitled clearly because her grandparents own it. Just saying don't expect great service. Oh and the food is decent. Lastly our server came by to apologize while the manager walked around the restaurant being entitled with her title. read more

El Tapatio has been around since I can remember! 20+ years and counting. They offer authentic mexican food and if any review puts this place down, they're not a good source for review. An age old business trying to stay in business. I can't fault El Tapatio for their menu, prices or upgrades to the business. They've survived in a changing community and that's more than I can say for any Imperial Beach business. This place need to be nothing less than appreciated for their commitment to delivering some of the most savory and authentic mexican food. Drinks are a plus to the tasteful plates they serve. I can't find a favorite, but anyone who kills it with an impeccable cheese enchilada and beef taco can basically do no wrong. Thank you El Tapatio for always delivering wonderful and tasteful memories. Thank you for working hard in the hard times. Stay Strong! read more

Ate here this afternoon for lunch and now have food poisoning. While the food was good, but a little bland, can't recommend a place that makes you sick after eating it. Friend who also ate lunch with us also got sick. Pretty much cements food poisoning. This place majorly sucks! read more

Before being seated a young lady wiped off 2 tables with the same cloth and NO antibacterial spray or cleaning solution. Just a plain white rag and used the same one on both. There was no cleaning smell at all so I think it was just water. We decided to leave cause if what you see is this, what's happening in the kitchen! read more

Found this little hidden Gem while visiting from LA. The service was great and the food was soooo good! I had the green chilaquiles with grilled chicken & it was perfect. Not a big fan of beans so I didn't try them. Didn't have their micheladas, but they looked so good!!! Will be back when I'm in town again read more

El Tapatio Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

Shitty food, terrible service, way too much oil on food was tempted to walk out and not pay for anything

Ordered food to go. The order was: - Carnitas torta with guacamole and pico de gallo on the side - Chicken enchilada with extra sauce Got home to find Carnitas torta, no guacamole or pico de gallo and a cheese enchilada instead of a chicken enchilada. Not recommending. 1 star minus 1. read more

My husband and I have been going here for years. He has been going here since he was a kid and introduced me to this amazing Mexican food spot. They have upgraded their restaurant sooo much! The patio is so nice now with heaters and a nice plastic that blocks the wind during the winter. The service is always excellent! Each waiter/waitress is always polite and gets our order correct every time. Free chips and homemade salsa when you dine in is always a perfect way to ease the wait for your food to arrive. The food is served hot and tasty every time! Highly recommend!! read more

The food was delicious my husband and I ordered chilaquiles and the services was great as well well worth it. read more

El Tapatio Restaurant - Caramel flan - Mexican Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

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Chips & Salsa are always delicious! We love coming here, my parents literally come here 2 times a week for dinner. EVERY WEEK.

Best veggie burrito in IB. Great breakfast burritos too. Excellent food & service!

The Asada fries were bomb, the meat is great. I also recommend the chicharon with green Chile. restaurant deserves all red stars.

Fabulous restaurant. Great food, great staff. They were really busy on Palm Sunday yet the hard working staff worked hard to ensure everyone there was treated as quickly as possible and courteously. Food was excellent and they have extensive menu. I had driven past many times but had never stopped in. We will be regulars from now on. Thanks for great Palm Sunday !!! I brought my parents and they enjoyed the food as well. Menudo read more

3 years ago I came here for a breakfast burrito (before the renovation) and asked for Pico de Gallo salsa and the lady at the register gave me an "ugh" Very rude too. Fast forward to a week ago. After telling my wife I would never come back to this establishment I caved since we were back in Imperial Beach (our old hood) and we were waiting for the drive in to open. We walk in and pretty much sat ourselves inside the restaurant. The patio was pretty busy. After 10 minutes of no menus or waters I walk up to one of the employees and asked if we could be served. He came back gave us our menus and walks away. After deciding what we wanted he comes back and asks us "what do you want"? Prior to all this that was never a "hello" or "welcome" We order our food and he seems annoyed it seems to having to do his job. We order three waters but he ends up charging us for a soda as well. We had not ordered a soda. The food was meh. I had the carnitas and my wife had the shrimp cocktail. The broth's color was off and the shrimp tasted old. My sons rice was stale. A pretty disappointing experience overall. Now my wife will avoid this restaurant like the plague like I did. read more

I had higher hopes looking at a couple other reviews on here but I was kinda disappointed. First, the service wasn't that good. But I was mostly concerned about how the food was going to be. I got verde enchiladas with rice and beans. The chicken was pretty dry and it lacked flavor. In the enchiladas there was a big piece of tomato in it which was weird to me. The enchiladas were drenched in way too much sauce but they still lacked flavor. My friend ordered the carne asada fries and those looked okay. I don't think I would come back though. read more

Well, it's been up and down with this spot, but they seem to be in the right track. The Sunday brunch is a high point, with really great service and an excellent buffet, including omelettes made to order, excellent birria, a nice selection of pastries and fruit and other tasty items. If you're taking out, call ahead; it can get really busy, and you may wait quite awhile if you just show up and order. Overall a solid option in IB, and always friendly service. read more

A few years ago, I used to eat here on a weekly basis. This was our spot. Our favorite taco stand. The chili rellano was excellent and the rolled tacos didn't taste frozen. That was a few years ago. The fat kid in me has been craving stardust donuts so I have been making the trek down to IB for the best donut shop in San Diego. That and the summer months always bring me back to IB. And with being back in IB, a craving for "the Tap". It is either the tap water in IB that makes you think that this spot is the bomb or the isolation that you get while living in IB. Now, removed from the IB infection, I see it for what it is. A decent taco shop that has it's moments but for the most part you are better off rolling into Chula for something a little tastier. read more

The food was bland. 2/8 of our items came out wrong. We were served one at a time with so much time between each person that the first person had finished eating long before the last two people got their food. One order never even got put in. Good thing it was a bean burrito so it was quick. The new renovation in the patio looks cool,but you can't get a beer outside. Through all of this the waitresses (yes it took two of them to screw it up this badly) never apologized or showed emotion. The owners need to invest in staff and ingredients before structural renovations. read more

Came here for the breakfast buffet, for the price it's perfect . I had beans rice and birria which was really good. They also have an omelette station and the lady making the omelettes is really nice she has great customer service. The omelette is probably the best part of the buffet. The menudo was pretty good too, I would definitely recommend the breakfast buffet. read more

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While having my car repaired at a nearby facility, me & the wife decided to stroll down to the beach when we came across this place. The wife was kind of hungry so we placed a order for 1 carne asada burrito ,no drink, which set us back $5.85. A lil pricey for a burrito but whatever. We get the burrito after a short wait. First thing I notice is the size. Its definitely smaller than other burritos I get around SD. Wife breaks the burrito in two & offers me a half. I bite into the burrito & its dry! WTH! For starters, there was hardly any onoins, cilantro, or gaucamole inside! The beef was well seasoned but overcooked. When I eat a burrito, I expect rivers of juice & other good stuff oozing out all over my chin. I fully expect to grab hand-fulls of napkins in an attempt to control all the good stuff from finding its way on my shirt & leaving pernament grease stains. This carne was so dry that it didnt require any napkins at all. I felt I was robbed from this wonderful experience by El Tapatio's sub-par carne asada burrito. I wasnt impressed by this Mex joint. This place is best suited for tourist & out of towners. Thumbs down! read more

I'm not sure why to so so reviews- we had California burrito, carne asada torta and carnitas torta- all were delicious, chips and salsa good. I always thought of this place as a breakfast place, good dinner and cheap read more

Got the easiest order. A bean and cheese burrito. It was a bean and no cheese burrito. If they can't get the most simple order correct idk how they could do anything up to the standers of San Diego locals. I usually go to el cilantros but they are remodeling. When they' open back up go their. You will thank me later. read more

This use to be a favorite! Since they expanded the dining area & changed the faces of the waitresses. The quality of service has a lot to be desired. Seem they have more seats than the kitchen can Handel... Nobody wants to wait forever for their food! read more

This place was good not anymore I got albondigas soup the potatoes were undercooked plus this is the third time in a row you messed up my order so no more tapatio for me I.b is full of taco shops and if you can't stay on your game then I'll go somewhere else read more

El Tapatio Restaurant - First they forgot the burrito so i drive back then they give me this mess not a california burrito - Mexican Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

I found this place years ago when I was a counselor at Camp Surf. El Tapatio was the first edge of civilization when you left Camp Surf. It is always hard to rate a place like this because there are no qualifiers to contrast between a fancy sit down joint vs a hole-in-the-wall. El Tapatio is a 4* hole-in-the-wall joint in my book. The food is good and the people who own/run this place are great. It is a nice, local IB place. I wouldn't make a pilgrimage from say Downtown San Diego, you'd pass a dozen or more spots just as good or better, but from Coronado? Sure, this is better than most of what Coronado has to offer. It is a spot we hit, especially early in the morning after surfing in IB. Everything seems to taste extra good after a nice morning in the water. My usual breakfast is either chorizo and eggs or a chorizo and egg burrito. Lunch & dinner have all the standards you'd expect and I've yet to find one that I didn't like, but also not one I can single out as the "have to have" item here. read more

It was my first time coming to this restaurant and I have to say that I did not enjoy how one of the staff members was being so lazy and rude while there was a restaurant FULL of people . I understand you gotta go on break but literally this lady Marta was taking the longest food break of her life at LEAST 45 min while you can obviously see how busy it was .. But that's not even the worst part .. I literally stayed to see how she worked cause maybe i don't know she's one of the leads and does good at her work .. but no she literally gets up from her long a** break goes over to tables that are stacked with plates from customers who have just ate and left and literally just collects the tips and doesn't lift a single plate/cup/trash .. nothing . No type of teamwork . Just collects the money then goes to the register to do who knows what. I honestly couldn't believe it . You would think that someone would never have the audacity to be so lazy in a public restaurant full of people knowing damn well we see what you're doing . It's embarrassing and I am not coming back . I've worked in the restaurant business for 13 years and I honestly feel bad for the other staff members that have to put up with that . I don't care who you are or what your title is . When the restaurant is packed and you see your own workers struggling you gotta put some pep to the step . Food was good but just seeing what I saw I'm not coming again . I hope whoever in charge reads this just for the sake of the restaurants future . Thank you bye A.R. read more

I stopped in for breakfast on a whim wondering around Imperial Beach. I ordered the chicken enchilades with egg on top along with rice and beans. I really enjoyed their beans. Some places I tolerate them but I liked these. Rice was good. The enchiladas were really good. I am not sure if I was really hungry becuase I wolfed down my food pretty fast. Serivce is ok. You walk in and pick your seat. The glass out front still has the menu stencilled on it. I guess one ordered at the window and they called you out when your food is ready. They have table service now. The menu is pretty extensive. I wondor why some taco shops have burgers on the menu? I thought the food was good. Service was decent. I would definitely eat here again. read more

I used to come here pretty often a few years back, but after getting a very long hair stuck in my teeth from a burrito, I didn't come back for over a year. Hoping that they had listened to some of the reviews here and improved, I decided to give them a chance again and started coming back fairly often, sometimes 2-3 times a week. I overlooked the slow service, the vibe I often get that customers are a nuisance, and the inconsistent quality of the food and continued to come and tip well. I even overlooked another hair in my rice when dining with friends who were visiting from out of the area. No more. After my most recent visit, after waiting for nearly triple the time I was quoted for a take-out burrito (and still tipping $2 for a $7 burrito, despite no service, no water, no chips, etc...), I finally get back home and only take a few bites before I have something stuck in my teeth. I pull out a 10"+ inch thick black hair. I'm nearly convinced hair is one of their staple ingredients. Having worked in the restaurant business in the past, I will still never understand how people underestimate the absolute importance of cleanliness and quality. I am the type of customer that will always come back, tip well and send others your way, but when: 1) the service is poor, 2) the food quality is not consistent, and 3) cleanliness and sanitary dining conditions are not of utmost priority then this is the last you'll see of me in a city with plenty of other options. (Before someone assumes it may be my hair--I have a shaved head) read more

I can't get over the general ridiculousness of the people who give this place 1 star reviews. I'd probably only give 3 stars if I didn't feel the need to offset the crazies. This is a very popular local spot. Yes the service can take a pretty long time and the food doesn't always dazzle with flavor, but it's always good and the people who work here are so nice. It's decent food in a very nice atmosphere. Most importantly, the prices are so beyond reasonable. Everyone complaining about it's non-five-star restaurant quality should just stick to the $$$ price range places they're apparently accustomed to. read more

The food was good but the reason for the 1 star was bad service. Mariela the waitress took a long time to give us menus while I had to ask another waitress if there was menus given. After we ordered food Mariela didn't come back to offer drink refills. Again I asked if refills were given and finally she showed up with my drink , no smile or a im sorry , nothing as she just dropped it off like there was no one at the table. I had to ask another waitress for the check as well and when I went to our table my girlfriend said Mariela threw the check at the table without saying a word. Go elsewhere where we the customers can be treated nicely.... read more

Worst service ever. Waited a half hour for chips and water. Food was gross. They never refilled our drinks, never brought us tortillas, and never checked on us. read more

We waited 45 minutes for our food. As we were waiting, a very angry 'to-go' customer came in and raised all sorts of fuss over his food. He ordered nachos but just got French fries covered in nacho cheese?! They said they were out of chips (which was a total lie because we had a bowl of chips on our table). Needless to say, I felt the guy's pain when my food arrives. No flavor. None. Not even a pinch of seasoning! The wait staff seemed nice enough when they actually pairs attention to my table. It took all three of the staff to work on one 'to-go' order. I waited about 20 mins for a refill because you're not allowed to use the machines that are right next to your table. Will NOT be going to this dump again. Seriously, find somewhere else. read more

We my wife and I are IB locals. We had a craving for Carne de Res and Albondigas soup. I make both soups at home and I am sorry to say both soups fell flat on their face. Watery bland broth, underdone potato. Over loaded with garbanzo beans, they over load with garbanzo beans because they are a cheap filler. That's just the Carne de res.... The albonigas again weak bland broth. The meatballs tasted like they were bought in frozen. No rice in the. Meat ball no seasoning no oregano no mint nothing. The only thing about either soup was they were hot and it was cold and rainey.. So my wife could take the soup to work, I had to put the soup on the stove and season it myself. A little cumin and beef broth goes a long way read more