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    La Sierra Cafe

    3.4 (124 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 7:00 am - 3:30 pm

    La Sierra Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    LA SIERRA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - La Sierra Cafe

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    Muchos huesos y cueros no carne ,

    pozole 2 / 10 nada Que ver,, no buen service no lo recomiemdo , plus cash only muchos huesos y cueros no carne no good customer service

    Restaurant name and location
    M G.

    Best menudo in town. Early arrival suggested the menudo will sell out on Saturday and Sundays. This place has been around for years. If you're going to get menudo take your own pot to take home. Pricey but definitely worth it and every bite.

    Delicious Pozole
    Jenn M.

    Had pozole on a hot day. It was so good and it helped me cool down. The salsa was delicious also. My friend had the bistec ranchero. I tried it and it was good too. Service was good. Servers were very nice. Bathroom is tiny and door is hidden by the exit door so hard to find if you don't ask someone. Make sure you bring cash. They also have a small parking lot and there's street parking available! I'll be back to try other dishes.

    Large Menudo w/ Pata!
    Chris P.

    Even though my Spanish sucks they made it happen! 5 stars for great service and open at 6am! I had a huge pata & large menudo with banging salsa, chips & tortillas. Dine in is open , just let them know and they will direct you to the dining room. They have a table at the door and looks like to go only, just tell the you want to dine in. I've seen lines out the door before COVID and always wanted to try it out. Locally known for the menudo but can't wait to try the specialties of the house for lunch and dinner.

    The storm!
    Omar S.

    When autumn cooled the air, my attention turned to soups and stews, specifically, to the Mexican restorative called pozole rojo, colored red and deeply flavored by ancho, arbol and guajillo chiles - or others, but those, preferred in Michoacán and Jalisco, are common and delicious. I knew that La Sierra Café made mole on Wednesdays and menudo on weekends, but I wasn't sure about pozole rojo, which I'd craved for days. I called ahead to check, and Raymond, the owner's son, said they had pozole on weekends, and that I should come early because they sell out quickly. I'm an old dude, awake by dawn and ready to eat hearty soups, so on a chilly Saturday morning, I saddled up and drove to National City. La Sierra was half-full at 7:30. I found a corner table from which I could watch the room, ordered, and waited. My meal took just a few minutes to arrive. In the meantime, by 8 a.m., a line had formed from the register to the kitchen counter, snaked through the front tables, propped open the door, and disappeared around the corner. We've all seen lines before. Hipsters, in particular, seem to consider waiting in line for pancakes and paying exorbitant prices for them honorable rites of passage. But on that morning, the assembled Latino brethren queued much more purposefully. Each weekend, at La Sierra, as at other menuderias around the County, hordes of customers - mostly men who've been detailed by wives and mothers to pick up the morning's menudo for the family - arrive with empty pots from their own kitchens. The lines they form are sociable gatherings of neighbors and friends, at least until the menudero is ready to provide, at which point the customer is on the clock, as the newly-filled pot is rushed home to mama. As I was stationed outside of the shape-up, my morning's experience was sedate, less convivial than theirs. But no worries. My overlarge bowl of pozole rojo arrived, providing a deeply-flavored bone broth made rich by meaty espinazo (spine) and luscious by sizeable patas (pig's feet). It was also spiced with chiles, and I was offered variants of the customary garnishes: tortilla chips; a mild red salsa; chopped onion and cilantro; and two unusual things: lemon (not lime); and escabeche, or pickled jalapeno and carrots. There was neither cabbage nor radish available, and I eventually missed their crunch. A mixed bag, but I wasn't disappointed. I'd seen the way forward, and it was at the door, standing in line with the other customers who'd long understood that the cook has his job, but home (where I stock tostadas, cabbage and radishes) has a useful purpose too. All that's left is to choose a pot for bringing home the pozole. ****************************** Here are the places I visited for pozole since November, in my order of preference: - LA SIERRA CAFE (Highly Recommended) - El Borrego Restaurant (Highly Recommended): http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-borrego-restaurant-san-diego?hrid=w-LD2Pf5egJWK_3n_Y2cNg - Birrieria Don Rafa (Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/birrieria-don-rafa-chula-vista-2?hrid=iawuzQLjiQdxHMnXrh3TzQ - Canela Mexico City Cuisine (Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/canela-mexico-city-cuisine-el-cajon?hrid=rbiUdWqdQhGnQBdvDh6ldA - Pozoleria Doña Maria (Recommended) https://www.yelp.com/biz/pozoleria-dona-maria-chula-vista?hrid=0GBcMNB2MEwgnKi9AtfSEQ - El Comal (Not Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-comal-san-diego-3?hrid=KxfuMoyYdAUd5rnEJd1ORg - Birrieria Y Menuderia Guadalajara (Not Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/birrieria-y-menuderia-guadalajara-chula-vista?hrid=mi8Zc9riCySRfXC-vY_HVQ

    Me & my Dalilah eating it at home I took a pot to go! We are focus as you can tell:)
    Andy M.

    This my friends is the best Menudo in SD, it's the best in CALI! I've been coming here for over 30 years since I was a little kid. And I have converted people to be menudo lovers because of this place! People who have never like or eaten menudo have come here & now only eat menudo here. Yes it's a little hole in the wall nothing fancy at all BUT it don't matter because there Menudo is on point! People come with POTS to fill them up & take home! I've even seen white & black people here with pots to fill up with menudo. And the Pata here you have to ask for it & trust me you'll love it! It's a whole big Pata with the hoof still on it, AMAZINGLY GOOD! The prices are good as well & the staff is friendly. It's crazy busy on Sunday mornings so come early or bring a pot to fill up to go, they give you tortillas lemon, onion with cilantro to go. The only bad thing is ITS CASH ONLY! But it's ok it's worth it because like I said it's the BEST MENUDO IN CALIFORNIA! This is better then your Grandmas menudo trust me! Shoot bring your grandma she'll even tell you this menudo is better then hers, no lie! And buy her a Pata too! She'll love it & thank you for taking her & hopefully bake you cookies later.

    Caldo de res
    Monique G.

    Absolutely love this place! My parents come here all the time. One of the most authentic places to come for Real mexican food! Their menudo is BOMB and we always get pata de puerco (pig foot) which is SUPER tender and soo delicious! They cook the pig foot all night(ive been to other places where the pig foot is so tough and nasty). Their costillitas (ribs) are also super delush, tender, packed w flavor! If you want authentic mexican food, come to this place! It's small and can be veryy busy but it is worth it! Usually come in the mornings on week days as it's not as busy. Enjoy!!

    Chilaquiles

    Went in on a rainy day and only had to wait 5 minutes. The service was good. We didn't notice it was cash only until we had already ordered, but thankfully there was an ATM inside the restaurant with a $2.50 fee. The food was okay...ordered chilaquiles, flavor was nothing spectacular.

    Mole Wednesday! Delicious!

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    1 year ago

    Service and food are bad. The menudo had no flavor was bland and the $4.50 cup of coffee was so watered down was tasteless.

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    3 years ago

    Best menudo in San Diego been coming here for more than 10 years! Workers are super nice and fast

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    12 years ago

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    3 years ago

    No good , can only recommend the owners to fix their cooking recipe, learn how to make menudo.

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Best menudo in San Diego. I always get a large with extra hominy and two beef tacos. Amazing.

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    La Lomita Mexican Grill

    La Lomita Mexican Grill

    3.8
    (408 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Best Rolled Tacos in the Game! Hands Down. 6/5…read more It's been tried and it's been true. Where else can you get fresh AF, juicy, beef rolled tacos that are rolled and fried to order? I'm waiting.... I'll put La Lomitas rolled tacos up against anybody's, ANYBODY'S! Covered in freshly made, still green guacamole, tomatoes, and shredded cheese, these bad boys are smackin'! $9.25 for 5 rolled tacos isn't terrible, but you might as well phone a friend on some Who Wants to Be a Millionaire type ish and order that 12 pack for $16.99. Ya feel me? If you don't, you will. And don't forget to peep out all of the accoutrements at the salsa bar-4 different salsas, pickled red onions, limes, radishes, and hot carrots, all gratis my amigo. Say whaaaaaat!? Yes, they kindly ask that you don't go overboard and request you take only 2 salsas per item, but just don't be greedy and you should be fine. The salsa bar was super clean and the salsas were delicious. I've also had carne asada fries here (always ask for extra crispy) and they're delicious as well. If you're not asking for your carne asada fries to be extra crispy at any taco shop, you're just doing it wrong. Enjoy my friends! Thanks to La Lomita and crew for coming through again. You guys really shine.

    Love this place. Their Surf & Turf burrito is always my go to the adobada is really good too and…read morethe tacos are solid. Service can be a little hit or miss depending on who's at the register but nothing horrible. The area itself isn't the greatest and you'll definitely get that classic hood taco shop vibe but honestly that's usually where the good food is at. Overall the food keeps me coming back

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    Inside
    Tacos El G

    Tacos El G

    3.5
    (1.2k reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $

    I came to Tacos El G around 9:30 PM. They're open until midnight, which I appreciated, and when we…read moregot there it wasn't hectic. The place was clean, and there was plenty of seating. You order and pay first, then they call your name when everything's ready. Service was nice and straightforward. The salsa bar was clean and stocked with fresh limes, two salsas, and radishes. There are a few tables inside plus a bigger table, but we chose to sit outside on the patio. It was clean, comfortable, and the weather made it easy to eat outside. Cabeza: $3.69. Super juicy and packed with flavor. If you like cabeza, this one hits. It came with onions and cilantro and didn't need much else. Lengua: $4.38. Lengua is usually my go-to, and this one was cooked really well. Not greasy at all, which I appreciated. The texture was right, and the flavor was solid, especially with extra lime. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't order more than one at that price. Adobada: $3.69 each. These were my husband's favorite. They come with a creamy green salsa that isn't at the salsa bar, and it pairs really well with the pork. Probably the safest order here. I'd come back to try other items since they have a lot of different cuts and styles, but the prices do make you pause a little, especially if you're ordering multiple tacos.

    Tacos El Gordo has always been my go-to spot when I come home, and the food is still good, but some…read moreof the changes have turned me off a bit. The biggest change is the ordering process. You now have to pay first, then wait for your food to be made. I actually preferred the old setup where you could walk to the different stations, pick your tacos, watch them prepare everything fresh, get it packed up, and then pay at the end. It felt like part of the experience. We also have to talk about the pricing. I remember when these tacos were around $1.25 each. Now they're over $4 for a mini street taco. I understand this is California and the cost of goods has increased, but that is a drastic jump. That said, I don't want to take away from the food because the tacos are still excellent. I ordered two buche tacos and a quesadilla, and both were 10 out of 10. They don't miss when it comes to seasoning and flavor. The service is still quick as well. My only real complaint is the price. It feels overpriced for what you're getting, and honestly, it may explain why there weren't many people there when we visited. There were only a handful of customers inside. The food is still worth trying, but be prepared for some serious sticker shock.

    Photos
    Drive thru
    Drive thru
    Tacos El G
    Adoba or al pastor same thing the best

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    Adoba or al pastor same thing the best

    La Sierra Cafe - mexican - Updated July 2026

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