I've been here twice and will definitely go again when I'm in the area. I came here after hearing the story of how Glen Bell came up with the idea of Taco Bell after eating tacos here. I can see why because the food is great. The restaurant itself is very nice and clean and they've got room for a lot of people which they need because it gets busy. I went at lunch time on a Sunday and it was packed but the staff moved fast and we didn't feel rushed. I'm looking forward to my next visit. read more

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I heard about this place a while ago. I head that the original Taco Bell owner stole his ideas from this restaurant and I knew I had to come here. For those of you who are impatient or always in a hurry, this isn't a place to come for a quick, ready-made bite before you go to an appointment. The food here takes time and it is worth the wait. My eyes were bigger than my stomach as I ordered a combo with a tamale, taco, and an enchilada, as well the pork fries. Now the pork fries weren't what I had envisioned in my head but after the tiniest sprinkle of salt they were absolutely perfect. The taco from my combo had an amazing crunch and everything on my plate was filled with flavor. My son ordered a burrito which was massive and he was able to finish half of it, which is a lot for him. My wife ordered a chicken enchilada combo that came with a taco. She loved her food and we will be more than happy to return. read more

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Getting there: there is a small parking lot next to the restaurant in the back with a sign for "Mitla." You can also park along the street. Upon arrival, check in with the host to write your name/number down. They will call you when the table is ready. The ambiance and environment are welcoming and filled with rich history. Chips and salsa were good. I enjoyed eating the chips with the hot sauce on the table. It was fire!! Food was homey and delicious. Ordered menudo and shredded beef tacos. Menudo was fatty and good. The shredded beef in the tacos was flavorful and moist. Will be coming back! Gracias Mitla! read more

Mitla Cafe - Shredded beef tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

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The place was busy , it was a Friday lunch time. Very noisy could barely hear each other speak , but the service and the food made all the difference. It was like sitting down at your grandparents home to have a meal with the entire family. Everyone talking over each other while munching on chips (excellent) and a mild salsa. Customers anxiously waiting for their names to be called in the waiting area to be able to get in and order their food. Today's special was ceviche, my daughter said it was quite hot but she likes it here that way. My other daughter and I ordered the dinner combos. Those plates had so much food I brought home more than I actually ate in the restaurant. Great leftovers for tonight. I hadn't been there in many years and I can truly say it was a pleasure being back. read more

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Went on Christmas Eve for a lunch date with my cousin to Mitla's because she wanted to try it so we did. I ordered the Menudo and she ordered a combination plate. After an hour and getting home. I got food poisoning from the Menu do. I called and told them my situation. Instead they argued with me and told me it took day for me to get food poisoning, like if I was lying. That was the only thing I ate that day. I asked for a credit on my card to no avail. read more

My friend and I ventured to Mitla Cafe to try the ORIGINAL Taco Bell-style taco. Located on the historic Route 66, Mitla opened in 1937. You read that right, a POC owned business open for 85 years. How that even is possible, I don't know, but goodness it's impressive and truly shows how fantastic it is. The originated what we know as the crispy shell taco. Taco Bell would not exist without Mitla Cafe, as their signature item was stolen by the TB founder Glen Bell! He actually worked across the street and would frequent Mitla Cafe, became friends with the staff to the point they let him in the kitchen and he then stole the concept to open his own shop - so legend goes. Here's the thing though...Mitla Cafe does their signature taco a million times better than that thieving fast food chain, lol! The shell is just phenomenal. Fresh and crispy - just perfect. They have a ground beef option which is good, served with lettuce and cheese, and is the classic. I actually prefer the shredded beef option, but both were very tasty. Their chips and salsa are great. I couldn't stop popping their chips, clearly very fresh. I had my first Jamaica here! It was a very tasty iced hibiscus tea which I'd totally have again. Their staff is so friendly (I've dined in and taken to go) plus they have a convenient parking lot. Love Mitla and it's a great stop on the trip back to LA if you are coming from the Yaamava casino! read more

When Gustavo Arellano uncovered that Mitla Cafe was the restaurant where unsuccessful hotdog and hamburger salesman Glen Bell went to see why that Mexican eatery was so busy and stole their ideas, I had to visit the real deal. Getting to San Bernardino has always meant going out of our way, but we decided to venture there after landing in Santa Ana. We were scheduled to eat dinner with our hosts that evening, so we weren't able to stay for an entire meal, but we had a bowl of albondigas soup and an order of guacamole and chips. It's remarkable that this Route 66 eatery has operated in the same building since its 1937 founding by Lucia Rodriguez. Her family still operates it and it's wonderful to see the restaurant survive and prosper. The food was wonderful and service was friendly. It was great being served in a place that's a piece of California history. read more

Mitla Cafe - Kristyveyes the menu at the historic Mitla Cafe. - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

When ever we are out in San Bernardino, we always stop by the Mitla Cafe for a meal. We had a wonderful fried taco lunch, the service was fast and the ambiance abounded at this storied Mexican food restaurant. read more

Was finally able to try the 80-yo "MITLA CAFE" (originator of the Crispy taco; stolen by Taco Bell Founder) on historic Route 66 on the way home from skiing and it was Authentically Excellent. This place has been on my to do list for a couple years now as I live nowhere close, but I'm happy to say that it lived up to the hype! The Best Enchilad I have ever had and the crispy tacos (Shredded beef, shredded chicken and ground beef) were crunchy and filling; I think it's the slowest I've eaten a plate of taco because they filled full and tasty! You get the 1st basket of chips free and they had great texture, size and crunch and their salsa has good consistency and flavor. The staff was pleasant and very excellent. read more

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Like many others, we came here to support and try the stolen inspiration behind Taco Bell's hard shell tacos. Their shredded beef tacos are so tasty and the Taco Bell version does not compare. I didn't love the carne asada burrito because it's only the meat in the tortilla. Our waiter was so friendly and gave honest recommendations on the menu and the sizing of different items. The food came out reasonably quick and was so enjoyable. The ambiance of the location speaks to its history as an icon on Route 66 - highly recommend stopping by especially if you're in the area. Make sure to order the shredded beef tacos! read more

Mitla Cafe - complimentary chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

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Food worth the wait because it's always packed. Went with friends and we had a blast shouting over each other due to popularity noise. Very authentic food. read more

I have been eating at Mitlas Cafe for over 60 years. Today and my most recent visits have been a big disappointment. The food used to have a consistently great taste. That is not the case anymore. The basic ground beef taco lacks taste as if lacks any seasoning at all. The Chile rellanos are no longer cleaned of the roasted skin. Sometimes almost a fourth to third of the rellano has the roasted skin still on it. I am really disappointed and wish that they get the older cooks back or have the new cooks restrained by the older cooks. You no longer know what kind of taste you are going to get with your meal. Looks like I am going to have to find another Mexican restaurant, Mitlas no longer has that great taste that it used to have consistently. Very disappointed! read more

This was my first stop on my trip to LA. I had heard the stories and history of this place and finally got to try it myself. I was glad I stopped! I went with 2 ground beef tacos. Here is how they were............. Ground Beef Tacos- These are the famous ones. The inspiration for Glen Bell opening Taco Bell. They were legit! These tacos were perfectly fried in a thin, and somewhat delicate tortilla. Great crunch, just the right amount of grease. The ground beef inside had a great, softish like texture. Good flavoring. Cool crisp lettuce, a mound of freshly shredded cheese, and a couple of tomatoes topped off this masterpiece. Damn delicious! My only complaint is that they were a tad small. If I was eating here as my only meal for the day, I could easily eat 5 or 6 of them. Could get a little costly, too, seeing is they are about $4.00 each. The lady inside (owner, I'm assuming) that helped me place my order was super friendly and nice. I would definitely patronize this business a lot if I lived nearby. Shoot...I may stop again on my way back to AZ. Those tacos were BOMB! Definitely drop by if you are driving through San Bernadino. It will be well worth the stop! read more

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Best place to go always on a Sunday. Great food will recommend it to everybody. I have been going to meet less since I was a young girl with our grandparents and family. read more

Staff was friendly. Sadly the service was too slow. It was a little busy but you wouldn't expect to wait over a hour for 6 tacos. The food was nothing special, not what I expected based on how much reviews this place has. Wouldn't come back. read more

I've heard so much about this place over the years and I finally got out there today. I don't think I've ever been more disappointed. The food was just ok, but the service was terrible. At least I get to check it off my list, but I won't be going back. read more

This was our first time visiting Mila Café. We were happy to find additional parking across the street. Walking in the door we were greeted. We had a 10 minute wait. The hostess originally was going to direct us to sit next to the bathrooms. We asked for additional seating and they were quick to find us a new table. We were a party of three. Food came out hot. Don't believe the hype about the ground beef tacos as they are very plain and without flavor. Many online influencers talk up the tacos and their history. But honestly, you could pass on these and not miss anything. Enchiladas were delicious. Beans and rice were average. The bill was $80 for three people plus tip. Our server was asked to bring sour cream and she forgot so we asked someone else they brought it right away. We asked the same individual for salsa and it never came to the table. In my honest opinion, $80 seems extremely high for an outdated menu in the depths of San Bernardino. read more

I had a cheese enchilada and papa's cooked slightly crispy and a side of refried beans. My husband had huevos rancheros. The flavors are classic, in my opinion the best north of the border. Those refried are sooo good and they came with two hand made flour tortillas. read more

Traveling for work and was craving Mexican . Looked authentic and reviews looked good too. Seated right away and staff was friendly. Huge servings and flavors are on point. All the pictures on the wall of Route 66 are super cool. I'll be back! read more

Mitla Cafe - Combo 2 - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

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Finally went to try the legendary Mitla Cafe yesterday! It is a cute old fashioned vintage looking place. The employees were very friendly. Lets begin where most Mexican meals begin, the chips and salsa! This is the kind of salsa where you have 3 -4 dips and it seems mild. But then on dip 5 bam, something really spicy! Love it! I had the crispy taco combo because after all that is what the legend is about right? I selected one ground beef and one shredded beef. They were both very meaty and delicious. Honestly far superior to anything they may have inspired. My friend got the chile rellenos and they looked big and fluffy with home made tortillas. Highly recommend checking out this place. read more

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Great service and awesome food. On Route 66 and have been here for 75 years. Definitely worth a stop read more

Mitla Cafe - Chile relleno and classic beef taco - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

A Route 66 classic since 1937. Mitla Cafe is a family owned, authentic Mexican restaurant serving a varied menu of comfort classics. They are the restaurant that inspired Taco Bell (aka Glen Bell ate here and stole their ideas). The interior is homey and inviting, with historic photos adorning the walls, and at Christmastime, a multicolored tree in the center of the dining room. My husband and I stopped in at 11:15am, assuming we were too late for breakfast. We were pleased to learn that they serve breakfast all day, save for pancakes, which end at 11am. We were immediately served hot drip coffee and a warm tortilla chips with salsa. My husband also got a really good (super creamy) side salad that came with his combo plate. I highly recommend the Huevos Rancheros. The massive plate contained perfectly cooked, gooey eggs drowning in flavorful sauce, and smothered with cheese. Served alongside were salty refried beans, fresh cut fried potatoes, and even fresh corn tortillas. My husband enjoyed his taco combo as well. Our waiter was genuinely friendly and attentive. Add Mitla Cafe to your bucket list. read more

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Mitla's has been a favorite of my fiancé and in laws going way back to his childhood so clearly he was excited to bring me to one of my favorites. We went for Sunday brunch this past weekend around 10:30am and the wait for two was 45minutes (although we were called before that). Once inside, I ordered a margarita (lemon/lime) and my fiancé got a bud light. We were quickly brought chips and salsa with our drinks and we placed our food order. I was amazed to see that their margaritas were less than $8 especially since it was delicious and strong. For food, I got their cup of menudo thinking it would be a light appetizer and to my surprise they were very generous with their meat. So much that I was filled after the menudo and chips so I ended up taking my machaca home. My fiancé got the Gloria's special and mentioned that it was as delicious as he remembered. I was so happy to finally try one of his favorites and I can see why his family has been coming here for years! The food is delicious, the prices are affordable and the service is amazing! You can tell the family takes pride in their service and in keeping their family tradition alive. Thank you, Mitla's Café! You are one of my favorites now too!! read more

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Best menudo in town. Friendly customer service. So much history to this place. Great ambience.

Taco bell would not exist if it wasn't for Mitla Cafe! This is where crunch deep fried taco with ground beef filling and shredded lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes comes from that everyone orders at Taco Bell. We were driving through San Bernardino so we wanted to experience this long lasting family owned business. We called to order two tacos, easily parked on the street and the pick-up process was seamless. Funny enough, even the salsa tasted like the hot sauce packets from Taco Bell. Wouldn't drive all the way over here just for this meal, but it's simple, tasty and a quick meal! Thanks to places like Mitla Cafe for expanding the knowledge of Mexican cuisine! read more

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Everything is absolutely amazing. The food is to die for authentic Mexican food. Everything you order is great I love the tacos the best and guacamole. read more

The Best Mexican food as to Taco/Cheese Enchalada/Salsa/Rellano...Though Glen Bell started Taco Bell from seeing this ...it is nothing like the chain. Been same place operated by same family almost 100 years. read more

This place serves my favorite style of tacos, tacos dorados, also known as crispy crunchy tacos. Served with ground beef, yellow grated cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped tomato, I really don't need anything else but 3-4 of these to be a happy customer. We've also tried the menudo, posole, enchilada, and their chile relleno (huge portion!). The chips are hot and fresh but definitely have a strong greasy, beef fat flavor that doesn't dissipate with each salsa lathered bite. I've made the mistake driving over on a Monday and Tuesday to find out they are closed. Ambience: On weekends the jukebox is playing top 40 hits and they music is LOUD. If you're like me and prefer not to be ear blasted, bring ear plugs. Restrooms: Careful of the step-down into the space. Mirror mirror on the wall is wall to wall. Don't mistake the hand sanitizer dispenser for the soap one that may/or may not be completely re-stocked. At least the sanitizer is there. Last Note: Dine-In only. They currently do not do take-out orders. read more

Great, old traditional Mexican restaurant. They start you off with hot chips and salsa that were great.I had a carne Asada special plate, it was good but there tacos were awesome. I will come back to order the tacos for sure. read more

Mitla Cafe - #calibeadman - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

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This place came highly recommended and because of it I had very HIGH hopes of delish tasting food. However, I was very disappointed. The chips are fresh, so fresh that all the oil is still marinating in the basket. The salsa was okay, needed salt. I order the combination plate with a Chile relleno and a enchilada. The chile relleno was meh, however the enchilada was 10/10 along with the bean and rice, bomb. Now we had really came to this place to try their famous ground beef taco. What a disappointment. The shell was drenched in oil, meat had no flavor. I wish it would have been a hit. I also order a cafe de olla, the cafe was pretty good. Not water down and fresh. The vibe was good. The service was okay. The decoration was amazing, like a New Mexico style restaurant. Tons of history. With all that being said, would I go back? For enchiladas and cafe yes. read more

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My family and I went in on Sunday 8/24 around 11:30am. Bussers were great, it's clear the way the restaurants system is set up, they're only allowed to do so much. We ordered two micheladas, beers came out first, michelada glasses came out 10 minutes later. A cup of coffee, had to ask for creamer. Which took possibly 5 mins. We weren't asked by our server if we wanted flour or corn tortillas. I had to ask for corn tortillas. I was brought flour tortillas with my meal. I had to flag the server down, to let him know I was given flour tortillas. 5 minutes later he brought me more tortillas, still flour. I had to flag him down again. Another 5 minutes go by. I'm brought tortillas. I try to open the foil quickly, before he walked away. Flour tortillas again. This time he tells me "she said they were corn". He comes back. Finally with corn tortillas, after about 7-8 mins. My food is now cold, most of my party has almost finished. I'm certain the server knew, my table didn't get the service we deserved and yet didn't offer anyway to remedy the experience. Most people don't mind paying a full plate price when it looks like a half plate, IF the service is good. Having one server and serval bussers, for the after church flow, is either because the server believes he's strong enough and doesn't want to share tips with another server or the owners are unaware the server is unable to handle the Sunday after church flow by himself and is giving bad service. Adding a second server to ensure customers are given the best service should be a thought. read more

I have ate at this place for many years, and I can't explain how great the food and service is!!! My family loves this place!! The staff is like family to us!! The place is so warm and welcoming with great Mexican food!! read more

Mitla Cafe - -Fries -Beans -Bacon -Eggs -Tortillas - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

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I saw really good reviews for this spot and was optimistic for some overall good Mexican food! I got a wet combination asada burrito that was pretty much a glorified bean burrito with some asada. I paid $14 for a basic burrito that I wouldn't pay even half price for. The staff was lovely, I am open to coming back to try the tacos though since there was so much hype. read more

Mitla Cafe - Asada Combination burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Bernardino, California

Decided to try for the first time last Saturday. I love the history of the place and the food was good. What really ruined it for me was the service. It was busy at lunch but there were 4 tables open. We stood in the doorway waiting to be seated for 5+ minutes. Several people acknowledged us to say someone will be right with us. A couple of those people just stood around and did nothing while we kept standing there. Finally we were greeted and zero care that we've been standing there. Finally sat, I decided to start timing because it was getting ridiculous. After 6 minutes of seated a busboy asked us in the lowest voice and of the lowest care what we wanted to drink. He asked " what do you want to drink?". At this point it was comical. At 13 minutes after being seated and after our beers were almost finished I flagged a server down to ask if someone can take our order. He seemed like a deer in the headlights at such a request. Mind you, we watched another server chat away with a table for a few minutes. Our menus were at the end of the booth to signal were fucking ready to order. Finally a server came up to ask what we would like to eat. No apology. No I'm sorry you had to wait. Like everyone else we encountered on this visit she couldn't give 2 shits. Unfortunately the food wasn't able to salvage the visit. Needless to say I wont be back and they obviously don't care. Maybe we just came on an off day because not many other bad service reviews. And if you're going to order the chili verde- its red, not green. Dont ask them to explain because they wont or cant. read more

Such amazing food and history ... Taco Bell was inspired by this place and changed our culture.

One of the best Mexican restaurants on Route 66 is in San Bernardino. Since the late 1930s, it has been family-owned; in fact, four generations have now owned the Mitla Cafe! Place has a lot of interesting history, as I'm sure some people are aware that this was the inspiration for the Taco Bell chain. There's a story that goes with it but I'll let you look it up. Food was excellent. I had an enchilada and burrito combo as well as the addition of a taco. I wanted to get the taco and try it out to compare it with Taco Bell's; let's just say, tacos from the Mitla Cafe taste so much better. It had all the fixings on there. For dessert, my friend recommended I try the flan - something I've never had before. Apparently, flan is very popular in southern California. Anyway, it was very good and my stomach was so full upon leaving. Be sure to walk around the restaurant and check out a lot of their historical pictures as well as newspaper and press clippings. They seem very modest, but they're quite a big deal! Last November, CBS did a five-minute news segment on the Mitla Cafe for the Sunday Morning show. (You can watch it on YouTube). Highly recommended, and come hungry! read more

Good place for Mexican food. They have a variety of authentic Mexican dishes on the menu and the service was fast, and polite. The shredded beef tacos are good read more

I tried this place because I had never been there; it had good reviews and I needed to try. We meet JoJo, our waiter and he was very cordial and informative. He advised us of items to try; of course he was on point. The food has alot of flavor, tasty and made us feel like a well cooked home meal from mom, herself. The tortillas are hand made and the coffee is the best. A definite must try again & again. read more

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About everyone has heard of Mitla. It's where Glenn Bell got his idea for Taco Bell. One of my offices is only 5 miles from here so I figured I would try it. I visited around 1-1:30 pm on a Wednesday, and the dining room was packed. Since it was just me, I sat at the bar. I got a nice cold beer to help wash down my food. I then ordered the three shredded beef tacos since it's kind of a line of the main reasons I came here. The chips and salsa came out first. The salsa was a thinner salsa with chunks and a really good flavor. It was spicy but not overpowering. The tacos came out a little bit after that and I wanted to devour them just from looking at them. They were nice and crunchy yet flaky. The shredded beef was well seasoned, moist, and tender. Lots of tasty cheese on top. Service was good and I'll be coming back! Stop in if you're in the neighborhood. There is lots of history here and the food is delicious too. read more

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Did you know the famous Mitla is open for breakfast at 8 AM? We rolled by on a Saturday morning just to drive by this historic place thinking it didn't open till 9 AM. We were so glad to find it open when we arrived. Getting in early meant we had a seat right away. We split the Huevos Rancheros. The beans were our favorite part, eggs were great. Fries were nothing special though. Maybe they should do their own potatoes instead of frying up something frozen read more

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