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    El Tio's Restaurant

    4.8 (46 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    EL TIO'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Tio's Restaurant

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    Three Meat Burrito
    Hayley C.

    I swear, this may be the BEST breakfast burrito I've ever had! My friends and I came by on a Monday morning craving good Mexican food. I was visiting from LA, and had high expectations, whereas they were visiting from Cincinnati and were just excited for a good burrito. The man and woman working were super nice, and the burritos were TO DIE FOR!! They were so big, and the egg, meat, peppers, and hash browns tasted so fresh.

    Menu 1.6.2025
    Chandra R.

    A hidden gem! Our party of five arrived at 8:00 AM for breakfast and were warmly greeted by the owner. We ordered five dishes, and our food was on the table within 15 minutes despite him being the only one working. The food was delicious and packed with flavor. While we were eating, the owner invited us to participate in cutting the Rosca de Reyes. My husband made the second cut, and we found Baby Jesus! The owner was thrilled for us, and on February 2, my husband will be buying tamales for everyone. This was our best restaurant experience in San Diego.

    Jack M.

    I had a good breakfast burrito from this little place hidden away in a little strip mall in Rolando. I choose the ham, eggs, tater tots, cheese, and sour cream breakfast burrito for $9 and some change. You can switch up the proteins. Like I said, the burrito was good and well filled and quite large, but next time, I will ax the sour cream because it softened up the tater tots. Also, the burrito really didn't need it. The burrito came with a good amount of ham and scrambled eggs. I would have liked more cheese in the burrito, however. I did mention to the owner that the flour tortilla needed more time on the hot griddle, to brown it up a bit and give it that good texture. The red hot sauce that I tried was really good, and so was the service. The place is simple and offers a few tables inside.

    Menu Board
    Lisa T.

    Small, hole in the wall but well worth the stop!!! Friendly, delicious and fresh. Authentic and amazing sauces, tender and juicy meats.

    Torta de Jamón

    Amazing! Fresh and crunchy veggies. Great service. I will be coming back every time I'm in the area!

    Carne Asada Fries

    It was my first time coming here, and since we went to the area, I was looking for some good CAF. I stop by this place and the fries were delicious. The french fries were nice and crispy. Everything was seasoned deliciously. And also the sauces are just the right amount of spice. The only con that I have to save about. It is that. I wish it would have more cheese, but overall it was delicious!! Definitely going back now that I live in the area!!! And the service was fast.

    Cheese Burger and Fries

    I was craving a good quality burger and didn't want the usual in n out. I found El Tio's on yelp and i'm so glad I did! I got the weekly special of cheeseburger, fries, and a can of soda for $9. The lettuce, tomato, and onion were so fresh and the patty was nice and thick. Everything else on the menu looked so good, i'll definitely be returning to try more

    California

    Most California burritos have either guacamole or sour cream. This burrito had both and it was a perfect balance that made it very delicious. The owner was nice and offered recommendations. This hole in the wall is worth a stop if you are in the area!

    Torta de Milanesa
    Tim B.

    El Tios has a great menu! Big portions and the flavor of the torta de milanesa was amazing. Red salsa was also fire!

    Cheeto burrito
    Eduardo M.

    If I could rate this more than 5 stars I would. In a city full of taco shops, Tio's has to be one of the most underrated in SD. Every time I enter, Tio greets with me a warm welcome asking my order and what I'd like to drink. He creates a good atmosphere chatting you up and makes it feel as a friendship as opposed to a service. The food always comes with good portions and the salsa is great. The menu holds a lot of variety from breakfast plates to sandwiches to a classic order of carne asada fries that you can never go wrong with. Today I tried a Cheeto burrito and this might have to be my new go to order. Tio gives a great service and definitely deserves more recognition. 100/10

    Restaurant store front - don't blink or you'll pass it by!

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    Business owner information

    Photo of Lizette G.

    Lizette G.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Service was great and fries were perfect can't say anything bad about the place. The price here are fair.

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    1 year ago

    Really good! Good quality and good price! The service was good too they were kind! I'll be back

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    2 years ago

    The food was 10/10 and the service was quick and kind to our needs and overall great place to enjoy a lunch or breakfast

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    3 years ago

    Amazing food. Good prices. Order food here. Great service. Stop reading this review, get into your car, and come here NOW.

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    3 years ago

    Best shake I have ever tasted. The food is amazing, definitely recommend. This is my new favorite place.

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    MammaMia Deli Market - Gino & Gianni's Pizzeria

    MammaMia Deli Market - Gino & Gianni's Pizzeria

    4.4
    (351 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Hidden little pizza gem in La Mesa that's also a deli market. The layout of this place is pretty…read morecool and definitely gives you an authentic Italian experience. Mamma Mia is beautifully decorated, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you've been transported somewhere else. I had a slice of the pepperoni pizza and it was packed with pepperoni and so cheesy. The pizza was really good and hit the spot. The staff was incredibly friendly and super sweet. I'll definitely have to come back and try one of their sandwiches from the deli.

    Sandwiches tried so far: Mamma Mia Torpedo, Spicy Sicilian, Whole Lotta Ties Turkey, Crazy…read moreCalabrese. Pizza: Mob Ties and Vodka Roni. Gelato: believe it was a coffee one Everything has been freaking delicious, fresh, great portions, definitely a spot I visit once a week lol. The crazy calabrese was a little on the salty side but it was still pretty good. Best sandwich so far has been the spicy sicilian. The market is well sorted with lots of interesting items and fair prices. The only thing is their tall cans of craft beer. A lot of them were old or had no date on the bottom of the can and as someone who works in the beer industry let me tell you. Beer does go bad. Not in a you can't drink it kind of way but flavor declines, especially craft beer. Skunky, taste changes, aroma changes, color changes, it's just not great. I picked up a can that was dated May 2025, for craft that is OLD and not good. Not a problem for your average person but I'm just letting y'all know. Nonetheless this place is delicious, the service is great, fast, friendly. The food is overall good, the market is nice and well sorted. What I don't understand are the comments that say I been here so many times but never left a good review, suddenly they have one bad experience over something like not enough lettuce or they ran out of something and leave a bad review. GTFOH! And no I wasn't paid for this review or know anyone from this business, I just hate what yell has become

    Photos
    Wine and Beer Cave
    Wine and Beer Cave
    Inside of The Godfather
    Inside of The Godfather
    Building front

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    Building front
    Daisy Deli

    Daisy Deli

    4.0
    (105 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    This was my first time to visit Deli Belly. I'm from New York and a love a good deli sandwich. I…read moreordered the New York ham and Swiss on rye and I was not disappointed! They have a nice selection of rolls and bread. The rye bread was soft and fresh. They use Boar's head meat, so of course the meat was great. I usually only eat 1/2 a sandwich, but it was so tasty that I kept going for "just one more bite". So good. They carry Dirty brand potato chips and had my favorite, Maui onion. They carry bottles drinks as well as fountain drinks. There's a good selection to choose from. You can dine inside or out. I chose the inside. The deli was clean and organized. There are big windows that let in a lot of sunlight. Justine made my food. She was friendly. I enjoy good service! I'll be back!

    Food: ordered a Cobb salad. Just know that you don't actually get grilled chicken. My salad had…read morethat imitation chicken that is painted to look grilled, but tastes rubbery. I hear the sandwiches were good, so maybe just stick to that. It is a deli after all. Service: normal, fine, no complaints. Ambiance: you can hear the kitchen fan, and then you also have music. The place was perfectly clean. Menu: there's a lot going on there. If you tend to get visually overwhelmed, maybe look up the menu before coming in. This is why I got a salad to begin with. Two stars because I didn't really get what I paid for, the chicken.

    Photos
    Pistachio gelato bar yummy
    Pistachio gelato bar yummy
    Firefighter Sandwich  yummy
    Firefighter Sandwich yummy
    Beautiful day to sit outside & enjoy a yummy sandwich & gelato bar

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    Beautiful day to sit outside & enjoy a yummy sandwich & gelato bar
    Grove Grinder

    Grove Grinder

    4.4
    (353 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Grove Grinder located in the heart of Lemon Grove. They offer indoor and outdoor seating. Not ideal…read morefor large crowds but, definitely a location to try for amazing sub sandwiches! When you see the entire store front packed with City Workers enjoying their meals...IT'S A MUST TO STOP AND TRY THEIR FOOD! That speaks volume in itself! I just love "MOM AND POP" locations! I believe this shop is a mother and son ran operation and they are an amazing duo dishing out amazing subs for reasonable prices! Watch out other sandwich chains out there cause Grove Grinder IS WHERE IT'S AT!!!! They have been in business since 1972...NUFF SAID! I ordered the Ann Special with everything on it. They do not skimp on meat and the proportion of bread to meat to veggie ratio is spot on! A full size sandwich is enough to feed two people easily or one very hungry person. I did not try any of their side items or large selection of root beer drink options to choose from but, I will be back many more times to try all they offer! Thank you Grove Grinder for amazing eats and allowing me to snap all my photos of your small shop for my review! If in Lemon Grove, show some love to Grove Grinder and grab you one of their amazing affordable, delicious subs...YOUR WELCOME IN ADVANCE!

    I'm a little heartbroken about this because I had a 5-star review drafted up for this place that…read moreread: "Grove Grinder is the GOAT of neighborhood sandwich shops. Over the years that I've been coming here, I've been pleasantly surprised to find that the quality, portion size, and price point has kept pace with inflation and remains the best sandwich option in East County." I'm certainly not the longest-running customer of this spot, but I have been coming to Grove Grinder ever since I moved to the area four years ago. I kept coming back, wrote rave reviews in San Diego food-related social media groups and threads, bugged food influencers about them, and sent many of my friends and family their direction because I was that big of a fan. My husband and I have taken these sandwiches on roadtrips and plane rides, grabbed them in the middle of household chores, and picked them up for each other when the other is too tired or sick to cook. The reason why I'm ultimately knocking this review back and heavily questioning whether I should return has to do with a disappointing experience from my last visit with my husband that we now think was part of a larger pattern. The past couple of times we saw this person at the register, we used my name for the order. This time, though, my husband gave his name instead and the person at the register gave him some attitude about it and asked "You're *really* going with that?" I don't understand what their problem was with his name, but both the person in the front and the staff in the back refused to use it. They called out everyone else's names (and they usually call out mine when I order) and we noticed that our sandwiches were looking skimpy compared to how stacked we know they can come. My husband uses a nickname that might not be the name he was given at birth, but is a name he has used for over 20 years and might as well be his "real," name. We don't want to make assumptions, but most of the staff has always been at least a little cold towards us at best, slightly rude at worst, and even though this experience might seem relatively small to some, it's ultimately the straw that broke the camel's back. We suspect that their distaste for us might be politically motivated. We know it can't be personal because we've been nothing but polite. It sucks, but it seems to be that if they perceive you to not be "their people," your money isn't as green at their establishment, even if it spends all the same. I loved this place and felt lucky that they're close to my house, but feeling disrespected and like the staff are trying to fire us as customers is enough motivation to take our business elsewhere.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Many many Root Beer Bottles.
    Many many Root Beer Bottles.
    Meatball sandwich

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    Meatball sandwich

    El Tio's Restaurant - sandwiches - Updated August 2026

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