As soon as you walk in this place smells amazing! They are the real deal! No frills, all the traditional food you would expect to see on a menu. They are not basic at all! The chicken tacos were to die for! The service was fast, efficient and delicious! I will be back very soon! read more

Not good! Not good at all. 1. Long line = long wait. Understandable, if at the end, you're gonna end up with some yummy food. But... 2. The food was A. Cold (and I don't mean "not hot enough". I mean COLD) B. Dry C. Over salted D. Burned (dry crunchy burrito anyone?) E. Soggy (soft spongy rolled tacos anyone?) F. Too costly if you don't get to eat 3. Very questionable cleanliness of the place. SUMMARY: I never again I will spend any money at this taco shop. Do yourself a favor and save your money (and stomachs) as well. read more

You know when you're in the mood for something, but just can't figure out what you want? That something is Jorge's Chicken Soup! Everytime! Their soup is beyond delicious and full of shredded chicken, rice, always fresh avocados and their amazing salsa. Get the Texcoco style if you like spicy and I would definitely recommend the large. If its too much, left overs are just as amazing. Not only is their chicken soup the best, their other dishes are great too. I love the soft tacos. The Adobada and Mole are fabulous and full of flavor. Their chicken flautas are delicious too. The staff is always friendly and prices are reasonable. Always ask for extra salsa. You won't regret it. read more

Delicious chicken soup!! Must try! It has rice and avocado.. fresh and light and amazing. The service is excellent and the food is yummy!

This is probably one of the friendliest staff I have ever encountered in a Mexican food restaurant. The service is absolutely great. The Mexican soup is amazinggg! Taste like it came straight from Grandmas kitchen. The food is very affordable and if you like southern Cali style Mexican food, you will love this place! read more

Jorge's is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants! The chicken soup is one of a kind and definitely a must try! Another one of my favorite items to order there are the chicken flautas. Three chicken rolled tacos, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, guacamole and cheese. But unlike the normal hard, crunchy, corn shell that most rolled tacos have, the flautas are made with flour tortillas. They're quickly fried which gives them a crispy yet soft texture and the toppings just make everything that much better. Jorge's is definitely a good place to stop by if you're in North County. read more

Chicken soup? Mexican style..Caldo,de pollo.....? Get yourself up in this place. Hands down the best ever....period. If there were a competition of some sorts city wide...they will win. Serious. Hunks of white chicken, avocado, pico de gallo, and the broth....Bam! Seriously the best. Do the large..(do not ask for spicy). Try and call your order in..this little hole in the wall has a line out the door...and no wonder why! Get some crispy tacos with your soup.... OMG that soup! read more

Excellent chicken soup and salsa. I haven't had anything here I don't like, but the chicken soup is the best. You are well advised to order ahead of time by phone if you are going at dinner time, the lines can be long. The spicy version of the soup is particularly good. The staff are very friendly. We go there fairly often and have yet to be disappointed. read more

Good Cali burrito. Good price. Not too greasy. One critique would be potatoes. I felt they should have been skinny fries but where actually not bad for potato chunks that usually I'm less a fan of. I will be back when back in the area. read more

I started coming here a year or so ago when I learned they had the holy grail of chicken soup. This chicken soup is known in San Diego as the soup which can cure all sicknesses. I'll be honest, it's not medicine but it is delicious and enough to spark ones appetite when under the weather. They also have really great crispy tacos and guacamole! It's not a fancy place but it's good, real authentic, un American, Mexican food. THE REAL DEAL....eat here, you won't be sorry! read more

This is 5-star place for sure- YUM! We didn't try the soup, which they're known for, because we had a craving for our standard SoCal Mexican dinner: a carne asada burrito and a shrimp burrito. The carne asada was tender, flavorful and not fatty- definitely a higher quality meat than other places. I'll say it was a great carne asada burrito; pretty perfect. The shrimp burrito, however, can only be described as the "GREATEST SHRIMP BURRITO EVER!" (while standing up and jumping on the couch) As for the wait- who cares about the wait when your food is truly fresh, truly made to order, and affordable too! read more

I moved to Cardiff a year to our dream home. Hoping to find one of our new favorite taco shops. There's many around the beach areas. This jerk that greets the customers is RUDE (He's the old guy). My Teenage Daughter's even think he's a jerk....he doesn't know how to relate to customers. Strike three...we are DONE. First time my crispy chicken taco was served cracked. The dude says...well you ordered a crispy taco! Really...I said..I didn't order a CRACKED taco. He then says next time you need to order it right....lightly crispy? ...BS. Second time my husband get the mediocre chicken soup. He want more Cilantro. So the same dude says...Ah..well I will have to charge you for the Cilantro! I said WHAT...you have to be kidding. He says well let me ask...them he says..I will let it slide this time but from now on I will have to charge for the Cilantro....OMG! Then he says we don't have just straight Cilantro...you can only get it with the onions. Really, a Mexican restaurant without tons of cilantro! That should have been our final meal at this dump. They are also extremely stingy with the flipping' salsa portion control's ...always HOW many you want? Same for the utensils & napkins....Never enough or the right ones. My husband has the soup & I have a side of rice....always have to ask for another spoon. ...same grouch dude will say....I gave you a spoon. We said that night ...never again. Last night my HS daughter said she wanted to try it one more time. She originally liked the chicken & bean burrito. Same dude again....never pleasant. I tell him she would like chicken and then split the beans with 1/2 rice. Mind you beans & rice are the SAME...as expected. Dude says ah, I can't do that. He says I will have to charge you $1.50 for a $7 Burrito? What an F'ing JOKE...that was enough! DONE....they don't care about customers at all. They don't understand how to manage a restaurant & relate to customers. On top of it...it's a dump & dirty looking. Back to Lourdes where they are NICE to customers in my neighborhood....BTW ...my daughter ate a great burrito across the street at Chipotle....for less $$ without any attitude being served-up.....they were NICE. read more

This place is consistently busy during lunch and dinner, so I recommend calling in orders to-go when possible because it can take anywhere between 15-20min for your food to come out if you don't like waiting. The burritos are alright. My boyfriend loves the flautas. And we both totally dig the tortilla soup (as do the majority of reviewers). We usually get the spicy which is soooo yummy, especially on chilly days. The flavors are well-balanced and the chicken is tender and juicy. They don't skimp on the meat or rice. And the tortillas (your choice of corn or flour) are handmade. Parking isn't too bad and but seating can be during busy hours. Prices are reasonable and this place is one of the better options for Mexican food in North County. read more

My family has been coming here since they opened.... at least 3-4 times a month. We have always loved the soup! We are big fans of the food. The biggest challenge is that the rarely answer the phone. When they do answer you usually wait 10 minutes or so until they take your order. Today I called and they answered. I was put on hold, as usual, for 15 minutes as I drove to Jorges. I mentioned to the order taker, who has seen me for years, that I was on hold for a very long time. He told me just to hang up because he doesn't have time. I mentioned maybe he should not answer the phone if they don't have time to take phone orders. Instead of being courteous to a very long time customer he was very rude and condescending. I am very disappointed in the treatment. I always write good reviews on yelp. I'm bummed I needed to write a poor one today. read more

I grew up in SD, and I've eaten a LOT of Mexican food in my three decades on earth. Like so much that I'm pretty much over it at this point in my life. Overpriced "nice Mexican food" a la Fidels or El Callejon = lame. Juanitas, Robertos, Filibertos--edible in a pinch when you're watsted at 2am, but completely steered clear of when sober enough to know better. Jorge's however is my singular exception. I mean who floats cool, perfectly ripe avocado slices in spicy ass chicken and rice soup? This place does. I'll have to concur with the theories about the healing properties of this soup, they could bottle it and sell it at 3am on cable. Plus, the mole, the machaca, chorizo, asada.... so holy freaking good. I personally think Jorge's mole takes El Nopalito's mole out back and punches it in the gut, shoves it on the ground and kicks dust in its face. The cash-only deal used to be an inconvenience, but it was always easily forgiven because of all the other virtues. I think I'm off to get some soup for my head cold.... read more

Their Crispy Chicken tacos used to be the best; soft moist chicken breast. Now, the chicken is like jerky; extremely dry, and barely any!!!

This is my go to place for chicken soup! It has rice, onion, tomato, and avocados! You can order it "spicy"! But let me tell you, the spicy soup has a real kick! I personally prefer to get their hot sauce on the side, and make it to my own taste. I also get extra hot sauce on the side too, just to dip my tortillas in, it is so good! They also have excellent chicken flautas! It usually is pretty busy at any time of the day so I recommend to call in advance unless you have 20-45 mins to kill while waiting for your order. And don't think you dialed the wrong number if you continuously get a busy tone, that is very normal for this busy place! Oh and the staff is amazing! The younger guy who takes the orders is always in the best most cheerful mood! Needless to say anymore, I am definitely a fan of Encinitas' Jorge's!!! read more

I find myself craving the Chicken Soup way too often (shredded chicken and avocado in clear broth)!! The hype is sooooo true. It is a simple, homely soup that is very good on a cold night. Try it!! The rolled tacos were also very good. We've had them at other places and in comparison, the meat is very fresh here. A few tables inside. SERVICE: Super friendly! :) Located in a strip mall. Plenty of parking in the lot. read more

Sorry, but these people are more concerned about their profit margins! Not customer satisfaction. The food lacks "sasón" Hispanic for flavor. Simply put, infused seasoning. The budget able containers reduce the serving sizes (caldo de pollo) & no longer contain desired temperature. Very poor idea to look at ways to increase margin. Definitely try this place, you will probably agree, not to go back! The original "Jorges Pollo" is what we want back! Spread the word. read more

Who doesn't get their chicken soup?! If you haven't, you have to try it!! Fish burrito is my favorite item to get here!!! You won't be disappointed! read more

I came here because I just saw it on the news as they talked about how it's a local favorite and their chicken soup is to die for. They weren't lying! It was sooo fresh and simple. Not salty, not greasy, not spicy (unless you get it Tex style). I also had a crispy taco with it which was also very, very delicious. I would come here more often I'm sure but I live in La Jolla and it's an 18 mile drive. Next time I do drive north, I will make another pit stop! We also got the chile relleno which was very tasty as well! Highly recommend for anyone looking for good mexican! Jorge is the bomb. read more

At work, we have a client who has eaten at this place probably 1000 times in the last year. So we finally decided to try it. No wonder he eats here to much!!! We've been twice now, I've tried the beef chimichanga, chicken flautas, and the chicken soup. It was all sooo good! I wasn't sure how spicy the "spicy soup" was, so I didn't try it. But next time I think I will get that kind instead. Everything I have tried here has been really good, and all my coworkers like it as well. The wait was probably like 15ish minutes but when a place is that popular can you really be surprised? read more

From their breakfast burritos to their soup they never disappoint! Their salsa is the best in town! Jorge's is legendary. They're always so nice there. I highly recommend their soup if you have the sniffles, it'll make you feel better. It was always a go to when my boys were living at home and feeling out of sorts. Every time they're back in town, it's on their list of places to eat. read more

Forget everything else this cantina sells. Get the chicken tortilla soup. It's the effin fountain of youth, folks. This stuff is the best thing on a cold day, on a rainy day, on a sick day, on a good day, hell for any kind of day you're having. You know that book "Chicken Soup for the Soul"... it had Jorge's chicken tortilla soup in mind. It's that good. You will not regret it! read more

This place has saved my life several times in the last couple of months. I have had their Texcoco soup every time I have felt sick. I will never spend another night feeling sick, cold or congested without this soup around. Thank you Jorge's for saving me from wasting away. Tips: Try the soup. Love it. The ingredients are avocado, chicken, rice and yummy. To-Go containers give you more soup than eating it there. It comes with tortillas to make tortilla soup or soup-tacos. Also, the difference between the chicken soup and the Texcoco is the latter has chili sauce. read more

The food is good we all know that. The wait is annoying but tolerable. The short spiky haired cashier is just getting worse and worse. He's so passive aggressive--reminds me of the soup nazi in the old Seinfeld episodes. It's sad, love the food but its just not worth dealing with short spiky haired cashier gentleman. Oh and then there's the parking....... read more

Don't know what happened, but really disappointed with our dinners. Carnita burritos were sloppy wet with more onions than anything else. Bleh! Enchiladas were full of chili spice. Pretty much enedible. What is going on here?? read more

It's the soup! While some taco shops have good the beans, some have decent carne asada, but they don't have the soup. I was literally on death's bed (well maybe not, but it felt like it) and their Mexican penicillin cured me. It only took 3 large bowels over 3 days and I was reborn! Worth the wait no matter how long the line. Get an extra quart and put it in the fridge. read more

I went to the new one across from Scripp's Encinitas Hospital. Apparently Jorge has a few of these places. I've only had the soup (Spicy Mexican Chicken Soup) and a taco here. Both were very good. I went here on a rainy day with a friend that told me the soup was great, and I love soup. It was the perfect lunch on a chilly rainy day. The other Mexican place in North County that is known for their great soup is La Especial Norte. The soup at Jorge's is as good as theirs, and that's saying alot. Atmosphere is very casual -- plastic chair style. Not really a place to come and eat unless you work across the street at the hospital and are grabbing a quick lunch, which happens daily enmasse. I will use it more as a take-out place. read more

I came to Jorge's completely by accident. I was heading down to San Diego for a birthday celebration and really need some lunch and a place to relieve myself (don't drink so much water next time). I put in fast food on route in my GPS and I was trying to find a La Salsa. Well the La Salsa my car said was on the route didn't exist so I turned into the nearest parking lot to figure out my plan of attack. As I parked I noticed a place that said Mexican Food. I thought to myself that I did want Mexican but this looked too sketchy for me. I yelped it and read the rave reviews and quickly changed my mind. I ordered three chicken sopas. The sopas themselves were out of this world good. The tortilla shell was crispy and had a slight sweetness to it that really added to the taste. The red salsa that came with it didn't over power the taste of the sopa either, which many times salsas do, but rather complimented it beautifully. What stops me form giving this place a 4 stars is the toppings. The beautiful sopas were covered with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and a smidgen of guac. The problem with this is that the lettuce tasted like that bagged iceberg lettuce and the cheese seemed to be on the bagged quality as well and too boot was cold not melty and yummy. I have become very spoiled in my neighborhood because we have some great home made Mexican restaurants. Those places seemed to have freshly chopped ingredients and cheese that is melted to perfection, or at least appears to be of a good quality. There was also not enough guac! I love guac but there was hardly enough to say there was any. Its also important to note that they don't have a bathroom you can use and you have to go next door for that. Kinda bugged me because that was the whole reason I stopped was to relieve myself but not a deal breaker. Overall I would go back again because those sopas were so damn good but I would skip the toppings. High quality food, low quality toppings. read more

This is the kind of place that is for locals. If you know it then you know how it works, how it has its own way of doing things, how the food is, etc. If you walk in once and expect them to start kissing your butt and being how you want them to be then it doesn't work. True though, the phone is always busy. So you have to go in person. An amazing solution. Soup is great though the spicy is not that spicy. Their to-go salsas are fantastic and actually spicy. Nachos are some of the best takeout gloopy everything nachos I've had. California burrito is pretty good. Yes they are a taco shop in a mini-mall, but they are one of the best taco shops in a mini-mall. Don't expect them to be anything other than what they are. You been schooled. read more

Love this small restaurant, great to order ahead and pick up for parties. Perfect for our needs, great good.

I live up the street from this fine establishment and I am proud to know most of the people that work there. The first timers will be rightfully pushed into getting the chicken soup which is amazing. The Daily Specials always have something for everyone, but my personal favorite since coming to this location when I was 8 years old in 1997 has got to be the Wednesday Special: Cheese Quesadilla (huge) Small chicken soup, and a fountain drink for under around 6 bucks. Tacos are bomb, workers are friendly. If you're lucky you can call-in but don't blame them if they don't answer because there is most of the time only one person at a time able to do the cashier, get the order ready and answering the phone, so call early if you do ;) Noel, Gus, and Enrique are always happy to serve you and brighten your day when you come in. Enjoy! read more

I Tried it for the first time today, quite satisfying. I ordered simple, Chicken Flautas served w/salsa fresca, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream & cheese. Very good. I also had a small bowl of the Chicken Soup, Texcoco style (w/chile). Very flavorful. Everything was made to order, so I probably waited 15 minutes or so. There was a line to the door, but it is a tiny place. The staff were very friendly and the prices were very reasonable. I will return and try some other dishes, but I'm sure I will always order the soup too. I have since returned and could not pass up that chicken soup. Darn that is good. We also ordered a simple quesadilla with guacamole. It was loaded with avocados! No slimy, volume bought, green slop claiming to be guacamole. Nope, fresh sliced avocados. Yum. read more

I joined Yelp just to review this place. I'm a resident of Encinitas and Jorge's has been the go-to place for Mexican food for me, so I felt the need to give them props. I didn't give them 5 stars only because I feel like I should reserve that for those rare, truly transcendent food experiences, but I would give Jorge's 4.5 stars if I could. The soup really is just as wonderful as everyone says it is. Even if I go for something else, I nearly always get a small soup because it is a travesty to go there are not get some. I highly recommend the spicy (Texcoco) version. It is quite spicy, but not the sort of spicy that will scorch your tongue, and it really wakes up all the flavors. The other stuff on the menu is praise-worthy too, though. I haven't had anything here that wasn't a cut above most of the other Mexican joints around. Their menu has mostly typical items -- burritos, carne asada, enchiladas, soft tacos -- all of which are absolutely delicious. The fish tacos are great; fried but not greasy, and they retain the delicate fish flavor. For breakfast, the machaca is amazing -- how I wish they would serve it all day! Many places use too much egg, but theirs has lots of flavorful beef and caramelized onions and peppers. Wonderful! They have some less common stuff too, though. It is rare to find molè anywhere, much less good molè, but Jorge's chicken molè is GREAT. Rich, slightly sweet, salty, smoky, mildly spicy, and complex. Don't bother with salsa or hot sauce, it will just get in the way. If you're in the neighborhood, go to Jorge's. You will NOT regret it. For the price, it just can't be beat. read more

This was one of my favorite places to grab a meal back when I was attending Mira Costa College back in 2011. My friends had discovered this place and introduced me to it, claiming it had the best California burrito. Personally for me, I especially love the Chicken soup - Texcoco style because I love the spiciness, and I love soups in general! I always order it if I ever pay a visit to Jorge's. Unfortunately since moving to the east coast, good Mexican food is very rare to find (or that I'm just very particular as a San Diego native), so I always look forward to coming here when I visit my family in San Diego. :P While there are other food items on the menu, I always come back to the California burrito and the Texcoco-style chicken soup (large size, of course)! Pricewise, these are very affordable and I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone! read more

San Diego is full of local taco shops and there are a lot of good ones out there. I kept seeing tons of people going in and out of this place and it was always busy. I finally tried it and got several different tacos. I couldn't believe how good they were and how inexpensive they were! No wonder this place is always busy. I gave it five stars due to the good food and super reasonable prices and keep in mind, it's a taco shop, not a fine dining establishment! There are plenty of taco shops in San Diego that are not good so when you find one that's exceptional, you keep going back! It's a must try! read more

I grew up in SD and currently live out of town. The reputation of Jorge's is legendary: everyone in my neighborhood has loved this place since they first went, and it is a cult classic. I look forward to going to Jorge's whenever I come home for their flautas, carne asada burritos, fish tacos, and of course their soup. read more

I'm always on the search for a good Mexican joint that has good California burritos. This place is one of the best in Encinitas! I get annoyed with places that don't know how to put the ingredients inside the burrito....potatoes all on the bottom or sour cream all in one place. This burrito was mixed just right and the potatoes were cooked perfectly. The fifth star is for the guy up front. He understands friendly service. read more

This is the place to be visited if you want real Mexican food. You will not be disappointed.