I recently moved to the area (Santee) and was researching a lot of the Mexican restaurants. I came across this place on Yelp, and when I saw the cover photo (thanks to whoever posted that), I got in my car and drove up. Parking was easy on a Friday night around 8:30. I noticed a lot of people were using a larger parking lot next of Ferny's. I went inside and was greeted by two really nice employees. I told Wendy it was my first time at Ferny's. I showed her the Yelp picture and asked what it was. She told me it was the Surf and Turf fries. I placed an order and asked if she recommended anything else. She suggested the spicy shrimp taco. When ordering, I did not know how HUGE the portions were, so definitely worth the cost. I even ordered the small fries and they were enough for 3 meals. They had several different options for salsas. I got the verde and the habanero. I'm taking a break for gorging on this epic and amazing food to write this review. Everything is delicious! I'm very impressed with the quality of the beef and shrimp. My picture can't even do it justice, but I thought I'd start somewhere. Highly recommend. Can't wait to go back. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Surf and Turf Fries - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

This place is awesome. I ordered the big breakfast burrito and the cheese enchiladas combination plate. I'm not sure but it is so hard for me to find a breakfast burrito with sausage in it and all of the other fixings. Then I stumbled upon this place. The burrito was affordable and a good size. Everything was cooked throughly and it tasted amazing. They were stingy with quantities. The cheese enchiladas were even better. I also had their carne asada and that was good as well but just too much grease in the box. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Big breakfast burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

This place is a hole in the wall , so you assume it's going to have low prices . But they actually have high prices . When they're having a good day it's a 4 star restaurant. But if you're family of 4 eats here and the bill is $50 and the food was not even half as good as the last time you ate here . You're bummed and need to go get food somewhere else . But when they are on fire , you really enjoy your meal. They have an excellent salsa bar and excellent customer service . I really like their surf n turf burrito . It's small but the carne Asada is perfectly seasoned and the shrimp is fresh and delicious . You do pay more here than other taco shops . If it's a good day , you don't mind . If they're off their game you're super disappointed . read more

Really good rolled tacos. I asked for extra crispy and they got it right. Had "the works" burrito and it was very good. Huge and stuffed perfectly. Help was nice and quick. Friendly and clean place I'd highly recommend. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Oh my goodness hot Cheeto burrito sounds bomb. - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Good Mexican food, large portions and reasonably priced. Will eat there again... and again.

The gourmet burritos are delicious. My only gripe is the fries are way overpriced and soggy. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

I'm an Otay Ranch native and this morning I brought my boyfriend to work in lakeside. I searched google maps to find a good breakfast place to satisfy my hangry-ness ... boy did Ferny's hit the spot!! I ordered a breakfast burrito without bacon and it tasted super fresh. The salsa was amazing. The woman at the counter was very sweet. Overall, A+!! I will be back with friends. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Yummmyyyy!!!! If you are like me and don't care for meat and would like to have a some really good fish rolled tacos well, you are at the right place, Ferny's is the place to go. Also had their fish tacos and Chile relleno burrito which were as well very good. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

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My favorite Mexican food. The nacho burrito is like nothing I have had before. Amazing !

omg there buffalo chicken fries wow!!!!! best buffalo chicken fries i have ever had! I prefer crispy small but i was feeling hungry this day and got a large They have grilled or crispy and 3-4 people i would order large. The buffalo chicken crispy is perfection!!!! The sauce so delicious!!!! It isn't all over the fries sometimes so i order an extra side of the chipotle cream just incase but WOW they are good! read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Buffalo chicken fries crispy large - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Fantastic taco shop in Santee. Had the mix burrito yesterday, shredded beef and beans. Was outstanding. Shredded beef was so flavourful. Today tried the ferny fries with curly fries. Outstanding, the carne asada is juicy and tasty. And that hot sauce is amazing. Will be back soon!!! read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Ferny fries, small - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

This place used to be amazing. Their Hawaiian burrito was filling and delicious. We moved away and came back today to discover that this place is no where near what it used to be and that they don't care whether customers come back or not. I've seen bigger burritos at Taco Bell and the fact that they're charging 11 dollars for this is ridiculous. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Sad Hawaiian burrito - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

As good as the food can be at times, it's pretty insulting that the Ferny's staff now refuses to give you more than two tiny hot sauces per burrito. Pre-COVID, when the salsa bar was open, this was never a problem, but now that the staff are responsible for filling the teeny cups themselves, they laughingly expect a couple dribbles to be enough for the big, dry $10 burrito you just bought and they won't entertain the idea that you might actually prefer to have some sauce with it, as if there's some kind of hot sauce shortage in 2021. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Big Burrito, Two Puny Salsa Cups - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

I CAN NOT STOP COMING HERE. Ferny's is the best taco shop in East County by far. They have everything you need. Personally my favorite is the HSL Burrito it comes with Chicken, Steak, & Shrimp. I sub the pico for rice and add guacamole. (thank me later) The surf and turf the California and the carne asada burritos are delicious. You can't go wrong on anything that you pick off the menu. They also make your food in less than 10 minutes which is good because I have a short amount of time to get there and back from work. All in all this place is a 10/10 delicious food great price and large variety of options. Excited to try their breakfast fries soon ! read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - HSL Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Updated review: I decided to give them another try and ordered rolled tacos and pollo asada tacos. I'm glad I decided to give them a second chance! Their pollo asada tacos were stuffed full, you could make a second taco with the fillings of one! The rolled tacos tasted fresh and delicious. read more

The worst "Mexican" food in Santee! DO NOT EAT HERE! Ferny's used to have really good food. Ferny's was our go to Mexican Food a couple of years ago, but something changed and the quality went down hill. Their habanero salsa was the bomb and that's what kept me coming! As I am reading other reviews, I am seeing a common complaint about next day blow outs, and that is what made us stop coming back too! When all 4 of us in my family get the same GI problems the next day it's the food, not the people. Last Tuesday night 4/20/21 I thought I would give Ferny's one more chance to redeem themselves and was yet again majorly disappointed! The young lady taking orders harassed the customer in front of me about wearing a mask. It is NOT law to wear a mask outside while maintaining a 6 foot distance, which he was doing, and her attitude towards him was uncalled for! Masking is a mandate, not a law, like the owner mentioned in one of his rebuttal comments. Masks are required inside buildings and if 6 feet distance can not be maintained. Ignorance about California State mandates drive me Insane!!! Know what you're talking about before you say, "it's the law"! Back to the food and service: The lady taking my order was rude and did not type in my order correct, as I learned when I got home and cut open one of the burritos! When my order was ready I asked for 3 habanero salsas, one of the reason I ordered from Ferny's, and she said she only had 3 left so she would allow me 2... I said, "Well if there are 3 left I would like the 3", keeping in mind that I ordered 4 menu items. After some convincing, on my part, she agreed, but not without some attitude. Food quality was subpar at beat and again we all 4 of us had GI issues the following day! No more Ferny's for us!!! Bad Hombres has the best real Mexican Food in town! read more

Since moving to Santee a year and a half ago and working here for more than 13 years, my wife and I have tried pretty much every Mom and Pop Taco shop in Santee, and most in East County. Ferny's is easily our favorite and has never disappointed us. The food is always fresh and tasty, and the portions are very generous. The prices are great and the servers are some of the nicest people ever. We've come here so many times now, especially with the Covid restrictions, and it's now the only Mexican food in Santee I'll order. Period. read more

Imho the best rolled tacos in Santee by far. As a long time Santee resident we have been coming to Ferny's for years and always enjoyed the good mexican food. Since this place is very popular and busy most of the time, it can get a little crazy as far as phoning in an order from time to time. The place has a nice hole in the wall charm to it and I find the staff is usually attentive and efficient. Yes, parking is at a premium but most of us just pull into the adjacent parking lot and walk over. So a shout out to the staff for keeping the doors open during this unusual time and keep up the good work. read more

This is place pretty good food that I have tried so far! So far I have ordered a bean, rice, and cheese burrito which was delicious! I ordered a surf and turf which I took a star off because it has no rice in it which was disappointing because I was really looking forward to the rice. I also ordered their carne asada fries which were delicious and a California burrito which was enjoyable. Their wet burritos are delicious the sauce is in-depth and very mole like but I love it! What really keeps me coming back to this place is that fea hot sauce! I crave it every 2 days it's so amazing! Overall this place is really good with the food and I'll be coming back regularly! read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Wet bean and cheese burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

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This place is good very good quality meat. A little pricey for the small portions but again good quality meat in my opinion. Service is fast. Fernys and bad hombres thats down the street are up their on the scale for santee mexican food. 9/10 read more

Found ants in my food.. totally not cool and they told me to bring it back so I did and they took it from me and told me they have a right to refuse my service read more

Ferny's, Ferny's, Ferny's, I have to admit you let me down this time around. After reading all the positive reviews, I was expecting something to bring the house down, but unfortunately, I received the opposite: a more "MEH" feeling, and I could argue that was being generous. I ordered the two fish tacos with rice and beans with a small order of tortilla chips. The fish tacos looked nice, (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fernys-mexican-grill-santee?select=Gm9wWxnkanxlxsAT6nLfoQ#2uPZUPMHvvbsnTVObzuhwg) but that was deceiving because the fish inside was dry and the batter tough. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fernys-mexican-grill-santee?select=Gm9wWxnkanxlxsAT6nLfoQ#mvVj7ScZdQ9GypKiJRHI1g) To make matters more disappointing, the fish was flavorless as if it had been frozen for an extended period of time. In other words, I don't think it was fresh battered fish. The rice and beans did not offer an escape from the lack luster fish tacos. The beans were stiff and dry too, and tasted to be honest; old or as if they had been in the warmer all day and continuously reheated. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fernys-mexican-grill-santee?select=Gm9wWxnkanxlxsAT6nLfoQ#M7H8TKC12JndqNs4lDzWCA) The dryness and burnt flavor leads me to believe that. The rice did not fair any better. It tasted okay, but it was over cooked, mushy and stuck together in areas, and in addition there were burnt rice pieces dotting the rice. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fernys-mexican-grill-santee?select=Gm9wWxnkanxlxsAT6nLfoQ#M1aX_klUjtVoE110LPpXNA) The hot sauce were okay. I put some of the green tomatillo on the fish tacos to try to liven them up, but it was not enough. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fernys-mexican-grill-santee?select=Gm9wWxnkanxlxsAT6nLfoQ#J5G2LLSQiuPFIwoN9JPnYw) The hot sauce was okay, but had a sour after taste. The red hot sauce known as la fea was better. It was well seasoned and had a good robust chili flavor. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fernys-mexican-grill-santee?select=Gm9wWxnkanxlxsAT6nLfoQ#Hm0sRfOLEzrM8ZcwMntk8Q) The tortilla chips were good. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fernys-mexican-grill-santee?select=Gm9wWxnkanxlxsAT6nLfoQ#Nm2xQPAaCq1SEFIOIpDSGw) It kinda strange, when I have to admit that the tortilla chips were the best thing I ate. read more

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Wow! Very good salsa! Nice customer service. Fresh! Flautas are not huge, but tasty. Rolled tacos are meaty! And what's this value menu?!? DAMN! Looks great! Next trip I will have a Mexican hot dog and try the Santana High School Burrito!!! read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

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Their handmade corn tortillas are so amazing. They also have one of the best bean and cheese burritos in town. I love their fish tacos and their carne asada tacos. The service is always friendly and my order is ready when they say it will be. 50 percent off all tacos in Tuesday as well!! read more

Was recommended to try Ferny's by a coworker of mine. I have driven by this place thousands of times but haven't stopped. I was told to try the carne asada taco as they do this unique thing with melted cheese. It was 5/5 tastes great and the melted cheese was a nice unique touch that was tasty. I'm excited to try other items on their menu. read more

Fernys is fire I'd go no matter what happens there good food good customer service keyboard warriors are wild

One of the best, Mexican restaurants ever! I eat here, at least once a week the food has always been amazing authentic delicious

Best fries in town! Found this place on Yelp and so glad we gave it a try! I will come back! Customer service was amazing and food was ready quick and delicious! read more

Why does this place only have 4 stars?!? They are consistently good! I've never had anything that wasn't good from here. The food is delicious, and the customer service is always good!! My favorites are the Gyro fries (such a treat to find at a taco shop, the Cali fries and Cali burrito (I always add chipotle crema and OMG it's soooo good!!) The portions are big and the quality is fantastic!! read more

im willing to bet this place does not have repeat customers. Some of the skimpiest tacos and burritos ever. Should of just went to sayulitas up the street. i ordered the carne asada burrito but got served the baby burrito. The potato tacos had the smallest little portion of potato. Step your game up. read more

This place looks sketch from the outside but just like a good ol dive bar it's super good and clean inside . Everyone keeps reccomending this place online so i decided to try finally . I Tried the surfing california burrito since everyone said to try the burritos and it did not disappoint . Perfect size the chipotle cream was good didn't really need salsa . the red sauce was ok green was good and they were out of everyone's favorite salsa fea so i'll try that next time . Prices were a lil on higher side but I think everywhere has gone up . i'll be back . read more

Honestly the worst rolled tacos I've ever had! I would rather have frozen store bought then ever eat these again. HOW do you mess up a simple rolled taco is beyond me read more

Very good and great prices. I got a $10 The Works burrito with steak and it was the size of my head. I typically prefer green salsa, but their red salsa is the best. The ladies were very friendly at the counter. I would definitely come back. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Very large Works Burrito! - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

The food and service were very good. They give you a large portion of fries and meat in the carne asada fries.

Food and service is usually great. The last time we went here, we heard the staff make a snarky comment about who ended up paying. If ya'll are gonna make a comment about the customers, make the comment behind closed doors and not at the cash register. We also ordered carne asada curly fries and ended up getting carne asada wedge fries instead. Obviously not what we asked for, although the food is still good. read more

Wow I had a favorite fast food Mexican food place.. So I heard about Ferny's but never ate there until Saturday and Sunday.. The meat is most with so much good flavor, fresh and not too bad in price.. My household now has a first favorite place.. Thankx for the great food.. read more

Came here on a whim. So glad we did. Fast and delicious food. Everything we had was great!

Chilaquiles are one of my favorite breakfast options and Ferny's took it to a whole new level with the chilaquile burrito - OMG. My only disappointment was that I did not get the sour cream I paid extra to add in, but that's minor. read more

We've been coming to this taco shop for 2.5 years. It's never the absolute best because the quality never stays the same but it's up there and it's really convenient. We've been gone for a couple of weeks so upon our arrival this evening, like a normal San Diegan, we ordered 2 orders of rolled tacos, 1 BRC, 2 kids bean and cheese combos with horchata, a quesadilla and a bean lettuce and cheese tostada. It. Was. Horrible!! My kids horchatas turned out to be off colored lemonade, I think? The beans in the BRC and the tostada were cold to the touch... not room temperature, actually cold to the touch. The tostada just had a heap of these cold beans.... Meaning the center of the tostada was the only piece of tortilla that had beans.... They weren't spread out at all.... They didn't listen and put tomatoes and cilantro.... But at this point it wasn't a big deal because I gave it to my dog to eat. We won't be coming back again.... Too many good taco shops around to deal with one that has been going down hill and can't ever be continually even edible. I'm not even asking for out of this world. read more

Lil hole in the wall with great mexican food. Need to have more flan stocked if possible as they always run out. I love their homemade flan. 3 out of 4 times im there they are out of it. So its hit or miss. read more

Ferny's Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California