All right, I'm going to say that this is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Escondido. Hands down some of the best Mexican food I've had in San Diego--and it only happens to be Oaxacan. Walk in, and you can already tell you're going to have a better dining experience than usual. Finely decorated tables and walls, warm, lively colors, and a staff that isn't your typically smug, indifferent wait staff. These guys are the real thing: chef, owner, cook, server, all there--some crossing over to share the burden--but for genuine service from real lovers of food. Freshly made horchata that you can taste! No powdery taste, and not too sweet. I had the cesina plate. The meat was delicious and just the right amount of moisture to keep me going! Even the rice and black beans were treated delicately--I felt so healthy and happy all at once! A friend had the chicken with black mole. Moist chicken breast, and a sauce that was thick and flavorful without that cheapening sweetness I sometimes expect around here. Not a fine dining restaurant. Definitely casual, although you pay for quality food (about $10 per plate). You'll find yourself here if you want an atmosphere and meal that are one and the same: memorable and inviting, with the distinct and traditional taste of Oaxaca! read more

So good here this is our third time coming here and we normally never eat out Mexican food because we cook it at home and out expectations are high and unfortunately we had bad experiences for that reason but we tried here from a friend who knows our cooking and our high expectations and it's a hidden gem it's not high end the style is humble but the food quality homemade is important for that reason I give them 5 stars which normally I don't give out. Enjoy the chicken soup its called tlalpeño and mole negro it's the bomb plus the homemade tortillas the chips and chile omg I can't express more but delicious!! read more

El Tejate - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

About two months ago I traded in my raging obsession for Tex-mex and and Tejano food and moved to SoCal. I never realized that I would soon fall in love with Oaxacan food and call it even. Okay so I still crave flautas and the green sauce at La Tapatia but I've come to terms with my loss. My boyfriend actually introduced me to this place and since then I've nonstop asked about our next visit. In our visits here we've had the tlayudas, mole, empanadas, camarones, and the tamales. Everything has been amazing! Yes, the service can be lacking at times but the food is worth it. In addition the atole and the speciality Horchata are worth checking out! The food all tastes really fresh and the regular patrons only verify how authentic the food is. Drop by if you're in the neighborhood! read more

The hospitality at this place is phenomenal and the food is excellent. They make all thier food fresh and you can tell by the delicious taste of the flavors. The menu is well rounded with a variety of different entrees to satisfy the palette. The owner is very gracious and did everything to teach me about her food background and the home that she loves. read more

Food was stale all of it from the chicken nuggets fries and tortilla chips horrible food

Fantastic HUGE chile rellanos......great picante salsa. We were the only gringos in there!! The owner is very nice, and made us feel totally at home. read more

This is NOT just another typical small Mexican restaurant in San Diego. It's an unpretentious delight if you're looking for foods from regions in Mexico that are ignored or glossed over in mainstream places, in this case it's Oaxacan. I believe it is the new brick & mortar location run by the same people who run Fiesta Oaxaquena in the Escondido Swap Meet. I do not know their actual hours, but we went by last Friday before 11:00am, maybe 10:45am and they had the "open" light on ... so we went in and had early lunch: Empanada with yellow mole (surprisingly subtle and light considering it's a large fried object filled with cheese, mushrooms and pumpkin flowers with white cheese crumbled all over the outside), two mole combination plates (black w chicken, red w pork) -- these come with rice and a warmer full of tortillas, aaand chapulines just because you just don't see insects on the menu that often in San Diego. That's right tasty medium-size grasshoppers, perfect with a bottle of beer after a long day. It was all very good. We were the only ones there and the very nice owner/chef made us coffee, which paired beautifully with both the mole combinations. The chapulines would have been better paired with beer, and it's our fault for not drinking beer with them, but they were tasty just the same. The owner mentioned they plan to have actual breakfasts served at some point (as well as more regional beverage choices), and he had a lot of pastries available (my dad took some of those home), but I'm glad we could get what we got off the regular menu as early as it was. read more

All I have to say is the food is REALLY exceptional and will challenge your pallet in a very good way. It's not just another Mexican restaurant, it's Oaxaca. The mole is great, but I'm a big fan of the chile rellenos. The bad: It really is a mom and pop shop, which in itself is not a bad thing. The challenge in this situation is trying to keep-up with the orders. Everything appears to be made from scratch, so appreciate it and wait patiently. It's not Roy's, so don't expect high-end service. Although, I still think there is still room for improvement, even for a mom and pop shop. No alcohol. This is a bummer, because great food always goes better with your favorite drink. The bad aside, you deserve it to yourself to try the food; it really is amazing! read more

Was in town for a week on vacation and wanted some great authentic Mexican food. Our family took us to Old Town Mexican Cafe and it basically sucked. We stopped by El Tejate on our way from the Wild Animal Park to the airport and tried this place out because it had two rave reviews and now I have to give it a third. The mole is so delicious it made me a little teary. The chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender. It comes with a nice big helping of rice and some homemade tortillas. I washed it all down with a decent horchata. The guy running the place was very nice and brought out a plate of Oaxacan string cheese to try out (they use it in their quesadillas). Right now, they only take cash, but he said they're going to take credit/debit within the next week. read more

The best place to get Mole. Exceptional staff and friendly owner. Worth checking out!!!!

And I am being generous. Waited a few wks to calm down. Service is terrible, had to hunt down waitress, server & cashier! There was a yoing waitress who seemed to on her 1st day! Why would u have newbie struggle on a busy wknd when u have a concert and a large wknd crowd? And why is th owner walking around shaking hands for when his help is needed to run the service not network?! If your staff is sinking, put an apron on & help out! I will be calling to speak to the owner and vent. The food is great depending on the dish! There is some nopale or tuna (cactus fruit) sorbe' dessert that was delish. But for all the bad service, I just don't think it's worth driving up to Escondido and dealing with poor service! read more

Once again this place was a big disappointment. I met my wife here for an early dinner. She purchased the Tlayuda with tasajo, secina, and longaniza. The food was tasteless and old. Let's not talk about the service. I was waiting around to place my order while the owner was filing her nails. Smh. Will never come back to this place. read more

We went to this place looking for something different from the normal Mexican food places around, and thought this would fit the bill based on the reviews from others. While we certainly got something different, I have to say that if this is genuine Oaxacan cuisine, I will not be going there on a food tour anytime soon. First off, the chips and salsa were nothing special. The chips were fairy bland, and the salsa had some heat to it, but no real flavor. We ordered ceviche based on the pictures on the menu, but were very disappointed with what we got. It was drenched in seafood sauce and oily - why? I had the shrimp and garlic, which was just a ton of garlic with some overcooked, under-seasoned shrimp added. This is coming from a garlic lover - I never thought I would find a dish that had too much garlic in it, but I can't say that after tonight. My fiancé had the enchiladas with black mole. We both love a good mole, but this was just not good. It tasted like it had some black licorice or something similar in it, which I hate and my fiancé tolerates, but it was horrible. And the enchiladas had no real flavor in them to save the dish. The only thing good from this place was the rice we had, although we both question if it was actually good or just seemed that way compared to the rest of the food. The service was all right and the waitress was friendly, but that does not make up for bad food. read more

Craving some Oaxacan food and found this place. Friday night is music night. The music was loud, very loud. Don't plan on having any conversation while that's going on. While the music isn't bad, it's just too loud. I was in the other room way away from the speakers, but after dinner I had the same ringing in my ears as if I went to a death metal show. Some customers had to walk out to order food with the wait staffs. Speaking of the wait staffs, not very efficient, and it seems like everything on the menu that's authentic Oaxacan is not available. This was 8pm on Friday night. Is it a tradition to run out of food at 8pm on Friday night? Aside from the service and loud music, the food is pretty good. The traditional drink was interesting. The horchata is different. I really love how they make the thin beef so flavorful. It reminds me of churrasqueira. But alas the music was so loud I didn't remember the proper name of any of the food I tried. I'd say I'd go back, but I will probably call ahead to make sure no music is playing in advance. read more

Delicious Grandpa Food oaxaqueña The frijoles negros and hand made tortillas Mmm And cafe de la olla. The. Best read more

AUTHENTIC OAXAQUEN CUISINE...it was my brothers birthday. We were the first ones there that afternoon. We all ordered drinks and entrées. The Food Was Fabulous I Had The "Chopped Pork With Mushroom And onions" my boyfriend had the torta. Uuummmmaaaagaaaawd it was so goood. The meat drizzled in mushroom and onion juices, the rice on point and the black beans were flavorful and didn't lack salt or seasoning. Definitely coming back next oaxaqueño craving. *** I believe the tortillas are hand made, another oomph to the oaxaqueño decadence*** read more

El Tejate - Chowwwwwwww - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

A promise gone sour! The reviews looked promising, and the menu looked interesting - crickets, maguey worms, have me intrigued from the get go. Though I would have to visit this place with folks less prone to stomach churning to try these! But, the restaurant and the overall experience was a disappointment. The Friday night karaoke was a disaster. I am not huge on ranchero/mariachi music, though when it is done tastefully in Mexican restaurants it enhances the experience. But this was loud, obnoxious and off-key! Karaoke, remember? Even the featured singer - seemed like the owner, maybe - was probably the main culprit of the off-key-ness! Food left a lot to be desired, too. The chicken legs in mole poblano looked promising, but it was just cooked chicken with mole sauce on top. The flavor stopped at the surface! The tlayuda was nice. Flavorful meat, and left us wanting more. Memelas were too eggy, and had some kind of a stale oil smell to it. Enchiladas, were ok. Made me go, 'Meh, I've experienced better'. The waiting staff was very spotty. Appeared like no one really trained them. Overall, not an experience that I would subject myself or my friends. Especially, if the cacophonous karaoke looms! read more

Best chile relleno ever. We got the beef on the advice of our waitress and she did not steer us wrong. The chile was super fresh, still had a crispness to it. And this was enormous. The filling, fabulous! Tamale with chicken and red mole, this was kind of soupy for my liking. Empanada with yellow mole, not bad. And we tried grasshopper, which had surprisingly little flavor on their own. Tasted like chili with lime. Not as bad as you would think. Torn between 3 and four stars. Gave it three because Ortiz was way better. read more

Found this restaurant by accident n decide to try it, had lunch the food was really good. I will b back here again to try other dishes. read more

Bad service overall. It took the server forever to take our order and give us our dinks. The food was bland and not as presented. They included tips within the bill and wouldn't separate the bill between the individuals within our party. read more

This is a have to restaurant the best authentic restaurant I have ate at in a very long time. Yahir owner was so very happy to serve. He offered gave samples and just wanted to keep us loving the Oaxaca traditions a great taste! Everyone has to come and try the food!! read more

See all

We have been here before and as usual the food is excellent . If someone wants to know and eat authentic Oaxaquena food this is the right place. The service is first class. Even the unexpected show was a great plus! The waiter Yair was excellent and very professional. read more

Went for crickets (chapulines) and beer as a late night snack. I enjoyed the experience. See my pics. read more

See all

Best mole in SD. On par with some Legit places in Mexico!! Great menu. Lunch service very good. Not fancy--didn't expect white glove service. Will be back to try more. Worth the drive! read more

The food is great especially the tlayuda except the customer service.. not friendly at all

This places prices are way too high for the food!! They're food is okay and not worth the prices. I got chicken Mole and the mole was too chocolaty. It almost tasted too sweet, like a desert. There's way better places out there! I definitely don't recommend this to anyone. They messed up our check and the service was crap! read more

I wanted some authentic memelas so I decided to give it a try.... as soon you come in they do not greet you, is self seating anyway we sat down and when I order my drinks the guy was very mean like if he was doing me a favor if I come to your restaurant I expect to get treated as a customer. I order a atole which my daughter did not like and asked our server if we could get something else and he said we can't take that back (considering she had a sip and the cup was full) so if you want another one you pay for it, I said is full and why would we pay for something we aren't gonna eat and like. As we get our chip and salsa they were old and cold. I did notice server eating food and standing up everytime someone walked in and serve food like that which that means cross-contamination and is nasty stay out of this place . read more

Amazing food. Highly recommend the mole. Great service that makes you feel like family. Will be coming back.

Very glad we came to Dinner. Today we had dinner the two person meal deal. It can easily be share with 3 A little bit of everything salad rice beans, salad, 3 sopes 3 of molotes, these 2 plates were filled with lots of Oaxaca Cheese so delicious. meats:tazajo chorizo and it had cactus too. We ordered micheladas with dos equis beer and they were perfect to taste read more

El Tejate - Dinner for two combo must try - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

If you're looking for an authentic Mexican restaurant focusing on traditional Oaxacan dishes, this place is it! I've been here a few times and the chips can be a little stale but their salsa is the real deal! Tlayuda is a traditional Oaxacan dish and they definitely don't disappoint. I usually order it with tasajo which is like carne asada. I also like to get horchata & I order it preparada (prepared) which includes fruit and walnut pieces. Their torta is also really good! It's very flavorful! The only reason I gave 3 starts is because the service in terms of coming to our table to check up was very limited... but their food is delicious! read more

El Tejate - Tlayuda with tasajo - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

Heard good things about "El Tejate" authentic Oaxacan food. It was a full house when we got there so i couldn't wait to eat. I've waited 12 minutes for glasses and utinsils before at different restaurant but never 20 minutes and still had to flag down the waitresses multiple times, now i understand when you're busy, you're busy but how can you not served water or utensils to your guests. Bottom line food is so-so and over priced not to mention service was horrible today i may give this place another chance at a later time when they're not as busy if that was todays case. They had a nice Mexican trio that played mean acoustic for tips. read more

I went to eat with my mom and brother today. Our server, carried her purse, had a bun and I didn't catch her name but our menu on the phone wasn't working so we told her we needed a minute and just ordered our drinks. Took 10 or more minutes for just our drinks while our server was chatting with another table and another server brought us our drinks. Another server brought us our food and all the stuff we needed. After our meal I asked the server if it was pooled tips or if it goes to one person and she said pooled. Mind you she never came to ask us how it was. I always tip cash because I'm a server too. I wrote nothing on check and was going to my car to get cash and she said "why did you ask about the tips" I said " I was just asking" and she said "because you didn't even leave anything " and I said "well I was going to my car to get my cash but now i won't leave anything" so yeah the rest of staff was awesome except for that one lady. I did not leave a tip because of her shitty attitude and that stupid entitlement read more

Tried this place for the first time today came in which my family. The service was not the best it took a while for them to come take the order and we had to ask for salsa no big deal but they seem to be mad when we told them. Also having music is entertaining but i think turning it down a bit so people can have conversations is considerate. Way too loud...do not recommend at all. Food is not even great really sucks!!!!!!!!!! And super expensive. read more

Food was great but I don't recommend it if a large family go , they service charge you automatically at the 15% I paid $45 dollars just on tips . When the guy server came only once to ask us if we needed anything else .... read more

Food here is good. You can see that from other reviews. And it's hard to find good authentic Oaxacan food, so that's why we have given this place a couple chances. But no more. The service here is awful. Time after time I am disappointed and also angry. It's a family owned business so most of the employees prob don't have to worry about losing their jobs. Their attitude is what gets me the most. I can't bring myself to give them another chance. I'm done. read more

I ordered 25 minutes ago and they just started making the second half of my order. Wrote that before I got my food) now I open the box and I paid $7 for a tortilla with mud slapped on it, topped with cheese. Delicious read more

I lived in Oaxaca for about 6 months in 2009 and have been searching for a great Oaxacan restaurant in the US ever since,. Found it!! OMG...so good. Had a Oaxacan Tamale and have been smiling ever since. Can't way to return. Sharron read more

Friendly service, excellent menu, and even better tasting food. I highly recommend eating here if you are craving Mexican food. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of food and the flavors. I will definitely return & bring a group along :) read more

This place makes it so hard to be a regular customer. The food is good but the service is not.. for starters they make it almost impossible to order food for pick-up. And after you pass all the test and are allowed to order pick up and pick it up you're told No Salsa! No salsa because the food comes with chile? What Mexican food restaurant does not give salsa? It is not Mexican or Oaxacan food unless it comes with salsa. read more

We love this place. We live in Escondido and are always looking for a different place to eat, El Tejate is a great place to have real authentic Oaxcan food. I would highly recommend this place, live music with a full bar. It's family oriented and welcomes everyone hom is willing to try something new. read more