I am kind of mixed here...My family has been going to Marietas for 20 years or so. We normally love it and that is why we have been consistent customers for so long. We love our long term normal waiters and bussers (Maria, Rudy and I think Julio is his name) and its been like a family to us. Unfortunately since they re-did the inside of Marietas everything other then the decor has been greatly lacking. We don't get to see our familiar faces any more. The service has been extremely slow. Yesterday I went there and they brought out 3 of our plates and didn't bring out the other persons plate till the rest of us were done. We sat there waiting a long while and they never brought the check. My order wasnt right and then to top it all off - I GOT FOOD POISONING! I have family in from out of the country and I couldn't even enjoy my evening with them because I was too busy in the bathroom. So i love Marietas for what they used to be. Now? I am so angry and unhappy with them. How do you rate that? read more

I decided to try this Marietta's based on my previous experiences at the santee location , it's nothing like it. I will not be coming back the food was not good and the waiter seemed rushed, there weren't even that many guests! I was not happy with my food and waiters energy was making me feel anxious and the mariachi guys didn't even ask if I wanted a song :/ read more

Fathers Day Sunday Brunch at 12:15 they were out of champagne:( We didn't get to have one glass!!

We've been longtime patrons of Marietas so this review is long overdue. The chips and salsa are really great and the service is always good and super fast. The margaritas are really tasty and authentic. I recommend the camarones tequila, (bacon wrapped shrimp). They are sooooooo good! Brunch is always a great choice as well. read more

Can you say YUK! I was disappointed and not impressed. Service was horrible...food YUK! Definitely not coming back to this place. Both hubby and I got sick from there food. Oh and if you claim to be a Mexican Restaurant please learn how to make a Margarita! read more

Holy MOLY this was great! Stopped here on a whim, and loved it! Food was AWESOME (I recommend the chicken and bean tostada), and the service was literally impeccable. In our quick visit here, we had 4 different waiters check on us, and we not once got to rhe bottom of our drinks (or chip bowl) because they were so diligent with refills. We will be back!!! read more

Went here last night for cinco de mayo with in laws. I ordered tacos, they were dripping with oil over cooked very hard shells. The meat was burned on the outside and under cooked in the middle. I find it hard to believe a Mexican food restaurant can screw up a taco! Grampa couldn't even eat his food it was so bad. Everyone was extremely disappointed in quality of food. We had to ask 5 times before being brought spicy carrots and more salsa, granted it was busy but they should be prepared for this it is cinco de mayo after all. I have been here before and it was very good , the inside looks different and I'm wondering if management/owner has changed. I won't go back! read more

I would like to start off by saying that I Do Not recommend this place to anyone , Never Ever will I go back to this place ... My Wife and I recently moved to the area and we decided to give it a shot so we went over for dinner for the first time, the person that helped us as a waiter was Tony, he has the worst customer service I have ever experienced, every time I would ask him for something he seemed to be bothered, he did not have patience while we were going over the menu and asking questions etc since it was our first time there, he did not gave us any suggestions, he made ridiculous amounts of charges to our Check, I think he even charged for napkins since he only gave us 1 each he charged me $10dlls for a margarita wtf without even sugar or salt or tajin escarcha lame simple poor and basic margarita I have ever seen, and charged me and extra 2dll fee for being tamarindo without even notifying me while I was ordering it, waiters usually notify you while you're ordering you're food Toby did not seem to care, I ordered cheese enchiladas with mole and cheese with a side of beans and rice and to my surprise I obviously got a few of 5 dollars additional due to the changes of chicken to cheese yeah like cheeses more expensive than chicken and 2 more dollars for the changes, when I got my food the quality was extremely poor the tortillas were extremely dry and super hard there was hardly hardly any mole sauce in my enchiladas, and there was beans inside my enchiladas like why ? On top of the side of beans why on earth would I want beans inside my enchiladas if I have a side of beans and I ordered cheese cheese enchiladas and The WAITER TONY how come he did not Notify me while I was ordering my food, so rude , poor service, poor food quality, I ordered 3 shrimp tacos for 25dollars what the heck and they were not even good super thin and the tortillas super soggy, at the end I was beyond irritated and so upset I asked to speak to the manager and TONY the Waiter said he was the supervisor and that there was nobody I could talk to being rude and with an extremely bad attitude, knowing that it was our first time there, I left furious and he did not care, I don't think the owner knows how bad customer service Tony has, I am very disappointed with the food and the service. read more

I'm from Las Vegas and every time I'm down in the San Diego area Marietas is a MUST! food is delicious service is great and the margaritas are the BOMB BAY! if you never been there it's a MUST you need to go! read more

Fajitas were terrible service terrible taco was shell was soaked in water not edible very disappointed

We came here on a whim with some friends because it was close to the house. Nothing really special, just your average EC Mexican restaurant with decent food. I think that everyone enjoyed there meals, but no was overly impressed with the quality or quantity of the plates. The price is average. The best part of our meal was the pitchers of Margaritas and chips & salsa. We walked out happy and will probably be back for the mere convenience. read more

We have been coming here for years. Tonight we sat in the bar area. The bar has 3 Tv's. We asked to turn one of the 3 Tv's to hockey. I got the look of I was talking a foreign language. The Bar area is not an Adults only area. We were subject to table next to us with the kids jumping on our chairs and kids kicking balloons around. Not the experience we were looking for on a Monday night. read more

I absolutely love this spot. The food is fantastic, and the service is great. The food is always there within mere minutes every time I go. And for an affordable price. It may not be the most beautiful atmosphere, but it's nice and the aforementioned reasons trump the lack of atmosphere and or location. read more

Decided to try this location as we have ate there years and years ago. It was ALL bad not to mention the table was so wobbly we stuffed napkins under it to level it and the tortillas that came with my fajitas were store bought and so brittle they broke apart in pieces. I will stick to Santee or La Mesa read more

I had the worst carne asada dinner in all the years I have been eating Mexican food. I got a burrito with rice and beans. The burrito was small and mostly all tortilla with a little meat that was dry and onions. The dinner was $10.95 and $2.00 extra charge for the rice. It is pricey for the quality of the food. Then the drink (iced tea) was $3.25 more. It not only was the worst but the most expensive compared to other local restaurants. The chips and salsa were great and the service was good. The first time I went there the food was very good and they had free hot carrots, so I returned for a second time. There won't be a third time. I wonder if it is under new management? read more

Best bean and cheese burrito, Hott carrots and chips! My all time favorite restutant by far!!

No matter where I go, Marieta's will absolutely be my favorite Mexican restaurant. I have been coming here for years and they have -- not only outstanding service -- great food! The hot carrots are the best. Maria is the best waitress/bartender. This place will not disappoint! read more

They just lost a 17 year loyal customer! Let me first start by saying my family has been coming here for years to eat monthly or sometimes more, and we have catered several parties from here. After tonight, NEVER again!!!! I went with my mom, sister and my son. When we got seated they gave us one small salsa and we asked for another one and some hot carrots. The guy literally asked us "you want another one?!" Like as if he couldn't believe it. We said yes. Then our drinks arrived. My sister ordered a sprite but they gave her a water so she told the guy helping our waiter that she ordered a sprite and he said "that's not sprite?" She took a sip to confirm and said "no it's water" and then grabs it out of her hand and took it?! WTH? Then he dropped off the sprite and left. Finally after a good 10 minutes our waiter came back and took our order and I again had to also ask for hot carrots. It then took another 15 minutes to get our food so the guy helping came by and my sister asked for more salsa and I'm not kidding, he turned around and tilted his head back and sighed. But guess what, he completely ignored us and never came back! When our waiter dropped off our food we asked him for more salsa and he said (while stuttering because he was lying) "oh umm we now have a new policy and you can only have two" we said "when did that start?" He said "two days ago and it's actually on the menu." NO ITS NOT!! So not only did they treat us like garbage they lied! And I'm done! And here's the kicker, they brought us tapatio for our food! LMAO! And please note that the restaurant was empty! NEVER AGAIN! Don't go here! Don't be fooled! Mind blown! If you do go, do yourself a favor and go to the Santee or La Mesa location! read more

Was sitting at the bar asked the bartender for another drink and she said too busy and I'm a regular

I forgot to mention that a lunchtime price for one Pacifico is $5.50. In El Cajon, at lunch. Just give me a break. I got a mediocre lunch for about $20. Never again. I have eaten there before and thought the food was about a 3 instead of a 5, but this is not the first time they chose to charge me the dinner menu price for something I ordered off the lunch menu. read more

My fiancee and I are not hard people to impress and seldom complain when dining out,however I feel compelled to write a review on Marietas located on E Main St. in El Cajon. I have been coming here since I was in high school and am now 40 years old. The last 3 experiences have been horrible. The food sucks,priced too high,and the environment less than desirable. They need to call their sister restaurants in Santee and La Mesa and get some pointers or burn this location down, Don't waste your time and money read more

Food is okay but beer is way over priced. One beer cost 5.50. Usually I can get mixed drink for that price...so it's shocking to me.

We are very long time customers of all the MARIETTA's but last night we ate in the El Cajon spot and we noticed subtle changes in pricing in the menu. The worst one being a charge if u need more salsa. The bowls are Tiny especially for more than 1 person. So now they charge a $1 extra for an additional tiny bowl of salsa! Crazy Ridiculius. Their prices have been creeping up consistently for many months this is the final straw....it's things like this that lose customers. My family being one that will go elsewhere...also I feel for the servers as this will impact their tips. One long time Unhappy customer... read more

Let me start this by saying that I love the Marieta's in Santee. I've been going there for years and it's almost addictive. That being said, not all Marieta's are created equal. I've never been terribly happy with this El Cajon spot, but my last visit will be my last visit. I ordered the Halibut dish, which is great in Santee however it isn't even halibut in El Cajon. They substitute it with talapia and try to pass it off as halibut. When I asked the manager about it he said "Oh Yeah, the waiter should have told you. None of the Marieta's serve halibut anymore." That of course was a lie. If your going to serve talapia that's fine but change the menu and the price. read more

I know you have a ton of choices to choose from in San Diego but Mariettas in East County is the only place I go. The family owned business makes you feel so welcome. They serve you chips and salsa immediately. They used to always serve spicy carrots but now you have to ask for them...still free! Everything is great on the menu. Once in awhile my husband will get a bad shrimp in the chef salad but other than than all good. They just opened a bar/cantina area which is a nice and a fun place to have a quick drink before dinner. Armondo is the friendliest bartender around. read more

I am giving them 4 stars on their lunch special. Two people can go there and have a lunch special, and a drink, with tip added for about 20 bucks. With all the chips, hot carrots, and salsa that you can fill yourself up with. It is a great deal. But, the service is hit and miss. I don't know what it is, but with a lot of Mexican restaurants, the waiters treat you like you're beneath them. If you go to Marieta's in peak times, the service is slow but good. If you go in the off hours, the service is fast but they don't talk to you or catch eye contact. There is one really good waiter at this branch. But Santee has no good waiters. I once waited about 15 minutes for them to bring me out another glass of water in Santee. The best hot carrots and salsa that I have ever found. Come on Marieta's, pick up the service and you'll pick up more business. read more

We went there today for brunch. Place was a bit busy, lacking maybe a person in the kitchen. Service was slow and we waited 35 minutes for our food to come out. Not pleased at all with the food. We come here often, sometimes 2 times a week. Our waiter didn't check up on us or I would have sent my plate back. Had to "flag" people down for more salsa & chips. We waited so long for our food we were just about full on the chips & salsa. Ridiculous! It's up and down actually on the food as well as the service. Yes, the interior needs a big face-lift for sure. Booths too close some places and some not bolted down. Quickly getting very disappointed with this place. read more

Hands down the BEST Mexican food restaurant I've ever been to and the customer service is AMAZING. They are just the nicest people that I've ever been served by. I will definitely return every chance I get. I have tried a variety of their plates and the portion sizes huge and the price is very reasonable. read more

Love this restaurant! It's my family's favorite place for dinner or lunch. The waiters are really nice guys, and the food is delicious!

I used to come here a lot years ago. Loved their chips and salsa. Decided to eat lunch here to see if it was the same place I remember. It was not. The booth seats are in need of repairs/replacements, the salsa isnt really salsa anymore. More of a hot sauce. The Chile Verde was pretty bland and a small portion or the price. My girlfriend had the chicken fajitas which wasnt too bad. Service was ok, but overall, the ambience and experience was lackluster. read more

I have been going to Marieta's on East Main in El Cajon for almost 30 years. I actually love this restaurant, but tonight was the worst service I have ever experienced. My husband and I arrived at about 5:20pm and there was almost no one there. It took over 20 minutes for the waiter to take our order - he took the orders of those who arrived after we did first. We were ok at this point because we did get our drink order. Well, there was a table that came in way after we did whose order was taken at the same time as our, they were served their dinner and were done and ready to leave before our food even was brought to the table. We asked that they give us our food to go as we had now been there almost an hour. The waiter told us he would do this and that he would take the drinks off of our bill. It took another 10 minutes to get our food to go and then the drinks were still on the bill. We had to wait again to have this corrected. It was truly the worst service ever. I must admit that right after we came in the restaurant was slammed with customers. I am willing to take this into account however, our food was cold when it arrived and we had sat waiting long enough to finish off two baskets of chips. The restaurant was under staffed and the young girl who was hostess was way to interested in the table who were her friends (she stood at her station and talked with them the entire time) and had no clue that there were people waiting to be seated or that someone's order was not getting out to the tables. Again, I love this restaurant but I am very unhappy. I would recommend that no one go into the El Cajon Marieta's on a Sunday evening. It is the worst experience that I have ever had. read more

They tried to pass off beef tacos as chicken. I do not eat red meat. Needless to say, that after this incident and the fact that it took 2 tries to get my husbands order correct as well, we decided to leave. The manager would not take my item off our bill. We got up to pay bill and my usually mild-mannered husband remarked to those within earshot that this treatment is inexcusable and we would not be back. When we got to the register the manager was waiting for us and tore up our bill. We have not been back in 2 years and wil not give them our business. We had been going to this place since we moved to El Cajon in 2004 and they knew we were regulars. Thankfully, we are out of that rat hole town and back within the San Diego City limits! Yay! read more

The food was not very good. The enchiladas were greasy and not very tasty. The waiter was unfriendly and quite rude. The food is just not commensurate with the prices charged. read more

Disgusting! How can you have bad Mexican food in San Diego? Easy answer use cheap ingredients and charge like you're not. This is by far the worst Mexican food I've ever had and I've eaten tamales in Ohio. Decor is cheap and dirty, staff clearly doesn't care, and once again food is cheap and gross read more

My favorite hang out spot every Friday in thier new bar! Food is great, ceviche is the best in town! Margaritas are the bomb!!! Staff are great!!! Those of you who put horrible reviews must go again and give them another try because you dont know what your talking about!! Best Mexi resturant in town! read more

Very disappointed! We have eaten there before as it is in our neighborhood but today was the worst food and service we have ever had. My husband had the beef and bean tostada and I had the chicken and bean tostada. NO CHEESE anywhere in either of our dishes (which the menu does indicate it's included) or tomatoes which we expected. And where were the beans unless it was considered bean soup because that's what my tostada was - a chicken soup in a tortilla bowl and for the price we paid (it was a la carte and $9 each) we will never eat there again. We have had better tostadas in the little hole in wall places. And the server practically threw our food on the table and did not once check back to see if we were okay or needed drink refills. And they were not even that crowded. That's our last visit there. Never again... read more

Love the food, especially the enchiladas and the drinks! Great for groups, can't tell you how many times we've had family gatherings here.

We went in last week for a birthday dinner. There was 12 of us. We had a reservation and when we arrived our table wasn't ready. Not a big deal but it seemed to set the pace for the rest of the evening. They brought chips and salsa right away and took our drink order. It took 30 minutes to get the drinks. We were in the little side room and it was super hot. I don't think there is A/C on that side. They finally brought the drinks and took our food order. When the food arrived one persons entire meal was missing. They forgot it. I had ordered the taco and enchilada combo. I picked my taco up it was so soggy it completely fell apart. Makes me wonder how long it was sitting in he back. Everyone at the table that got burritos took one bite and the entire bottom blew out. We were all pretty disappointed in he food and service. As if that wasn't bad enough we came home and went to bed. I woke up at midnight with a terrible case of food poisoning! My husband had a stomachache but nothing like what I had. We have been coming here for 25 years! I'm sad to say that will be our last visit. It's unfortunate that it's gone down hill. read more

Marieta's is like Cheers...."where everybody knows your name"! Julio, the owner/manager is attentive and will take of your every need. Can't find something on the menu? Just talk to Julio who will create an original, delicious masterpiece. The new decor including the bar makes the experience at Marieta's all the more appealing. Throw in authentic, tasty food and you have the perfect experience. The restaurant is full of regulars who have bonded over their love of Marietas-food, ambience, margaritas! read more

Salsa is good. Food is bland run of the mill Mexican. Service is less than average. Too few waters for the crowd. Mostly undiscerning customers drinking here. Chips are sort of stale. Prices are way too high for the quality. Go elsewhere. read more