My ladies who lunch and pray group went here today because our regular spot was closed due to an employee retreat. Parking could be a little bit challenging, but if there's not enough parking in the lot, you can find some on the streets and some is metered so be prepared and there's a time limit. The restaurant is small inside and we had a party of five, but it was noon time and we got seated right away on a Monday. The wait staff is wonderful and Adam was our server and he did a great job. They have some wonderful lunch specials for $12 Monday through Friday and there are six different selections of various tacos and enchiladas and rice and beans. The portion sizes are quite generous. Three of my lady friends chose the specials and they were very happy with them and I and another friend chose to have the only tostada on the menu, which is the house special tostada. I chose to have Carnitas which they happily substituted for me since it wasn't listed on the menu as an option. My friend chose the shredded chicken. The price was $18 for a delicious fried crispy Tostada shell with a generous amount of meat and beans and not too much lettuce and filler. There was plenty of sour cream on the top to spread over the entire tostada so that you could have some with every bite. There were some tomatoes and a little bit of avocado slices, but it would've been nice to have more. It was delicious and I didn't have to take too much home because it wasn't huge. I like the ambience here because it's an old family restaurant that has been here for decades and you can't find very many of these still around. If you wanna have a nice authentic Mexican meal come here when you're near Kensington and you will have a nice time. read more

I ordered cheese quesadilla and shrimp ceviche for delivery. I only received one quesadilla without any pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole. The picture on Uber Eats had at least 2 quesadillas and I (incorrectly) assumed there would be more than 1 for $8. The ceviche, however, was the most disappointing. All the yelp reviews had rated the ceviche so highly so I gave it a shot. It was the worst ceviche I had ever had. I could not finish it even after dousing it in hot sauce. The shrimp were not properly cut and it had 0 flavor. Suffice to say I will never be ordering from here again. I rated it 2 stars because it's hard to mess up a quesadilla. Although it was cold and the restaurant is only 10 mins away from me... read more

This was my third visit to Ponce's over the years--our first visit was about six years ago, then again during COVID, and now in 2026. I really enjoyed it in the past, which is why this visit was disappointing. It just doesn't seem like the same restaurant anymore. The service was fast, friendly, and attentive, and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. Unfortunately, the food fell short. The table salsa was only mediocre and lacked the fresh, bold flavor I remembered. I ordered a shredded beef burrito made chimichanga-style, but it came out as basically a fried burrito without the usual toppings, which I had to order separately. The shredded beef was bland, and I even had to spit out a piece of fat. I also ordered a house margarita, and it was just okay--not terrible, but not very flavorful. I'm hoping this was just an off day because I've always enjoyed Ponce's, but this visit left me disappointed. read more

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Found Ponce's on Yelp and ordered takeout on impulse based off the pictures -- so glad we did. I got about 9 items plus a few appetizers for a small party, and it was a total crowd pleaser. I obviously didn't eat everything myself, but everything looked amazing. It had that made-from-a-Mexican-home look -- you know the one, where they're generous with the rice and beans, and the enchiladas come baked with a good amount of cheese on top. I ordered the birria and they were nice enough to add the cilantro and onions on the side so they wouldn't get soggy. The birria had a layer of cheese inside, which gave the taco a nice creamy flavor. You can tell a good birria by the consommé, and this one did not disappoint -- bursting with flavor, clearly simmered for hours. We also shared the queso dip, which was amazing: salty, melted queso with ground beef. The guacamole tasted super fresh, like eating it straight from the avocado, with hints of diced onion, tomato, cilantro, and jalapeño or serrano. Everyone was happy with their meal. The staff deserve a shout-out too -- extremely friendly. I got there early to wait for my food and a few of the waiters came by to make sure I'd been helped, and they even helped carry some bags to my car. There's a small parking lot next door, which makes pickup easy. Can't wait to come back and eat these dishes fresh and in person. read more

Another great meal at Ponce's. The food was great, the service was very good abc we found parking in the lot. A Win on all account. read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Lunch # 2 Cheese Enchilada, Ground Beef Burrito and refried beans. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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I discovered this spot in Kensington looking for some Mexican food that wasn't tacos. The inside is quite large with plenty of seating for small or large parties. The service was extremely friendly. The food is delicious. There won't be any chance you leave hungry. We will definitely be coming back again and again. read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas Suizas Family Pack - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Absolutely love this Mexican restaurant in the adorable Kensington neighborhood! Have been here over several years with business colleagues, family and friends and all have loved the fantastic food, friendly staff and fun atmosphere. Great place to celebrate cinco de mayo! read more

We miss this place so much. They used to be a location right near our home in north county and could walk to it. The great service and quality of the food is still there. In fact last weekend we went to Old Town and this place beat that restaurant quality. The food came out so fast that I only ate a few chips with the green salsa I like. Jessica our server is super friendly with a smile. We sat outside and enjoyed the summer day. read more

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Food, service, and vibes are all excellent. Food: The free chips and salsa were a nice bonus; the chips were freshly fried. For our entree we ordered Chile Colorado on the quarterly special and it was so delicious. Every component, the red rice, the beans, and the chile were all so flavorful. The chile has a rich beef flavor and the avocado adds some additional freshness. It is very tomato forward, which I am fine with. The beef is so tender I didn't even pick up the knife. Big enough portion to share. My family ordered the enchiladas and the chile relleno. Rave reviews for both, and the chile relleno was MASSIVE. Service: They are so helpful and friendly. The staff go above and beyond to meet our requests, answer questions and give recommendations, and keep us topped off with chips and salsa and water. Overall a great dining experience. Atmosphere: They have a patio for casual outdoor dining. The indoor is very nicely decorated, kind of Texas ranch-y vibes. It is very popular even when we came at 5PM, and it feels very lively with all the people walking by on Adams Ave. The top spot for Tex-Mex that I've experienced in San Diego, definitely recommend. read more

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A consistently great experience! We had an awesome evening tonight with a neighborhood friend. Service is always the best. So many great people were working this evening like Michael, Arturo and Parker. We all started off with one of the February 2026 Drink Specials. Super tasty. It was a busy Friday night but we didn't feel rushed. As always the food was delicious. The chile rellenos at Ponce's are the absolute best in town. Always a pleasure going to Ponce's, enjoying cocktails / dinner and seeing such wonderful neighbors and friends. read more

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Came here with a bunch of guys for my friends birthday the place is lively though so packed that we ended up waiting a long time even with an rsvp. The food is good, presentation is typical. I would recommend for A casual dine out read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Machaca Plate - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Step 1: Do yourself a favor and go to Ponce's right now and order the limited-time-only special--Cochinita Pibil--available right now and through Q3 2026. This Yucatecan dish is hard to find and even harder to find done well, and the chef has absolutely nailed it. It's pork marinated in a sweet, tangy, and smoky sauce then slow-roasted until ridiculously tender and finished with a spice blend you won't forget. Step 2: Do us all a favor and tell the manager how much you like it and maybe write a review about it so they consider adding it to the menu permanently. I've been coming here regularly for decades and this is my favorite dish they've ever made. read more

Ordered online and it not only was a super quick pickup, but everything was perfect. Got the cochinita pibil and the portion size of meat was about 4 portions worth, the value is insane. Also got some margaritas to go for the first time from here and wow another great value. Please never change these portions! Our other dishes were also fantastic, can't go wrong eating in or with take out! Food aside, service is great and always has been. read more

Came here to eat and our server, Adam, was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious. I had the machaca, and it was the best machaca I've had in San Diego. I'll definitely be back! Highly recommend this place for both the great food and excellent service. read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Machaca Plate - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

My partner took me here as he claims it is a San Diego staple. We ordered a Crispy Quesadilla, an Impossible Beef Burrito, an Impossible Beef Taco, and a Shrimp Taco. If I can give one piece of advice, it's to get the Crispy Quesadilla. It was such a great addition to our mains. Any place that offers an Impossible alternative gets bonus points from me, and the burrito and taco were delicious. I would probably skip the shrimp taco, or request a flour tortilla instead because it fell apart instantly. We sat at the bar and had a beer and a margarita; the drinks were tasty and the service was wonderful. I really look forward to trying other things on the menu! read more

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Oh Ponces. Never a favorite for food but again it's been a while. . Went just for Rita's, margaritas this time. Their margaritas are decent. Lots of flavors and mixes to choose from. The service started strong. Once they realized we werent eating the vibe changed. They checked in numerous times. They asked us if we wanted our bill, yet we were unsure if we were going to get a second drink. The place was not busy, nor was there a line of people waiting to be seated. It made us feel quite uncomfortable, indeed.. Never been a fan of Ponces. I know it's somewhat of an establishment in Kensington but for me it's subpar. read more

I love Ponce's food and the crew are really nice. I had a to-go order recently ordered on the app , a chili rilleno with rice and beans, for $30 plus a tip. I didn't get any salsa. I mean cry me a river right!? But please, I need my salsa, I love my salsa and why wasn't it part of the delivery? Please make sure your to- go orders have salsa it's part of the entire experience. read more

I was expecting better. Got the Enchiladas Suisa, which read really well and looked great. Sauces were nice, but the chicken was so wet and watery that it took away from the dish. Kept comparing it to other Enchiladas I've gotten in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, and LA. This one was lacking. Margaritas make everything better and mine was very good. If I go back, I will likely order something other than the chicken. The GF got a bowel that she liked, but it looked plain to me. read more

Everyone I am sure has their own favorite Mexican restaurant and it usually just comes down to personal preference. This is mine!! I love taking out-of-towners here. The food is amazing! I love the family-oriented style. And the house margaritas are the bomb! read more

Stopped in for a chicken tortilla soup to go. Here's what I liked: Tasty soup with tomatoes, lots of chicken. They gave me the avocado, chips and a sprinkle of of cheese on the side. Came out quickly! Suggest maybe adding corn, black beans and raw cilantro. Chicken although plentiful was a tad dry. How about more onions, celery and possibly carrots to kick it up a notch? read more

Honestly, came here specifically to try a margarita after seeing a post blow up of a bartender saying these are the best margs all around. I'd have to agree that these margs are pretty freaking good. The wait here was insane for food, but we sat at the bar for a margarita and our lovely bartender brought us out some delicious chips, salsa, and even some guac to munch on. All delicious. Can't wait to return when we have more time for a full meal. Added bonus: this spot is tucked away in such a cute, walkable area! read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Spicy marg - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

My brother in law brought home a carne asada burrito for me didn't tell me where it was from until I eat it. The burrito was not good at first it's like the burrito had to marinate for a minute, first bites the burrito had to much space at the top and it was guac and salsa heavy the seasoning didn't hit until the bottom half of the burrito. Now, for 16 dollars I'm expecting more and this just wasn't it I gave it three cause there is no half stars but gotta do better with meat through out the burrito. read more

Cinco de Mayo quick lunch. Super busy, really nice folks, fast service. Easy on the wallet. read more

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@poncesmxrestaurant serves delicious authentic Mexican food including their famous Birria tacos and tasty margaritas ‍. They have two locations in Kensington and Del Sur (this was their first location in Kensington). Their complimentary chips and salsa (both red & green) were super fresh, had a little kick , and the perfect amount of salt that kept you going back for more! They are kid friendly providing crayons and coloring sheet, along with a great menu (and huge portions) for the littles. What we ordered: Tacos De Birria 10/10 Surf & Turf Burrito 10/10 Kids Chicken taquitos with rice & beans 10/10 ‍ House Cadillac Margarita (Tajin rim) 9/10 #sandiegofood #sandiegofoodie #sandiegoeats #foodie #sandiegofoodies #kidfriendlyrestaurant #sandiegofoodscene #sandiegoliving #foodblogger #birria #birriatacos #surfandturf #surfandturfburrito #mexicanfood #mexicanrestaurant #authenticmexicanfood #kensington #kensingtonrestaurant #margarita #cadillacmargarita #ponce read more

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Horrible service. Took 10 minutes to be greeted. Our water was never refilled. The waiter did not check on us even once. We had to stop them to even get the check after finishing the meal. They added 18% gratuity for 2 people (see pic). This was our favorite spot for almost 10 years. We usually tip over 20%. However, the service and food quality has been declining and we will not return. read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Cute decor, nice outdoor seating and pretty good service. However the food and drinks are a complete fail. Kind of standard subpar texmex. The smokey marg just tasted like alcohol. The chilli colorado was tough and bland - the pork wasnt cooked long enough to tenderize. Bland unseasoned guac was either made MUCH earlier or was packaged. read more

Who doesn't love Ponces? Terrific food, supreme staff, a vibe they've been polishing for decades, and margaritas that make me believe there is good in the world again. Love you guys! read more

Ponces is a San Diego staple! Located on Adams ave, it's normally pretty busy. While I wouldn't say it's the most authentic Mexican food, the food is still good and drinks are strong. Inside, there's a large bar and amazing artwork. I love coming to ponces when I am in the need of a strong margarita. read more

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This is a great place to meet up with friends. The food is hit or miss, but I usually compare a Mexican place by their refried beans. And well, the beans are either good or decent. It can get a bit loud but I don't mind that. The margaritas are good, but served in smaller glasses than other places. Either way, it's a convenient location to gather. read more

Well, I'm pretty disappointed in this establishment. My son ordered two carne asada tacos, and as you see in the photo, only one taco had meat and guacamole in it. I ordered chicken tortilla soup and all I tasted SALT; there was absolutely no other flavor but salt. I ate the avocado and tortillas a trashed the rest. "Two" tacos and soup was $33. *The manager replied to my review with their email address. Before I could copy the email address, their comment was gone. Strange... read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I love the ambiance of this place! Great vibe, excellent service. I ordered the enchiladas, 1 chicken, 1 cheese and 1 shredded beef with rice and beans. It was huge! 3 meals worth of food for me. Great standard typical red sauce, the meat was good rice and beans were good. read more

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

OK MEXICAN (3.25 stars) Baller on a budget with that Groupon deal, worth $40 of food bought for $20. With inflation prices you have to spend dollars wisely these days. - FOOD: average - PRICE: Groupon deal - SERVICE: good - AMBIANCE: small but well known eatery in the area :: ORDER :: COMPLIMENTARY CHIPS - wasn't a fan. The chips were ok but a little oily. The salsa wasted bitter, I felt as if the chilies they roasted for the salsa was way over cooked/burnt and can be tasted when blended into the salsa. WATERMELON LIME AGUA FRESCA - wasn't craving anything alcohol and went for a mocktail. It was refreshing yet tart at the same time. RECOMMEND CUP OF TORTILLA SOUP - with avocado and quest anajo. Surprisingly this was tasty. If I enjoyed this tiny bowl of soup on a very hot day then that's telling you something. It had good flavor, the tomato base was a little different than what I'm use to, it had chili flavor. The amount of chicken and other ingredients in the soup was good. The avocado was a nice touch of creaminess. HIGHLY RECOMMEND FAJITA QUESADILLAS - choice of steak, chicken, or grilled veggies fajita melted between two 10 inch tortillas with Monterey Jack cheese. Served with guacamole fresh salsa and sour cream. This was massively portioned. Definitely a shareable meal between two. Or one and have plenty of left overs. It was exactly as explained - a fajita quesadilla. Very filling with all that cheese. The amount of vegetables and steak were fair and present in every bite. Nothing special about the flavor, all was average. I wasn't too crazy over it as. I could probably make something better at home. But this be a good choice at the restaurant if you are opting out of a taco plate. RECOMMEND :: SERVICE :: Staff was very friendly if that be bar tender to servers. Food came out quickly. They engaged with regulars asking about family and etc and I liked that "cheers" vibe where locals/regulars have a place to chill and staff knows them by first name basis. I am hearing that management have changed and so did the food. As much as I've heard through people how good it is it reminded me of restaurant I would find in old town where 99% of those restaurants are just ok. Until the next review... read more

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Ponce's is one of the few places in San Diego, where you can still get that authentic taste that I was raised with, the New Mexico red chili enchilada sauce, the seasoned ground beef, the food all served, hot and wonderful beans and rice. Ponces is one of the better there's a lot of worse places out there, but Ponce's is not tourist. no blue tortilla chips nothing funny. It's just real food. You might say its kind of a local dive. They good drinks, loud conversation and great waitresses. Did I mention the prices were way below the tourist spots? read more

great all around experience. food was good. service was excellent. great vibes. would come back again.

Average at best. Customer service was good Some of the chips tasted stale but others very good. Carnitas had some flavor but better at most other places. read more

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Food, service and ambiance all 5 star...especially food. Excellent Mexican food!! Not to be missed.

We love Ponce's. We recently ordered Ponces take out and we were super pleased with our food. They also have a great menu to accommodate vegetarian/food allergies. I got the fajita shrimp bowl and my husband got the enchiladas. The portions are a great size. We will definitely be back again soon. read more

Update: One of the owners reached out to me. I was impressed with her concern for my issues. I told her the most frustrating thing was the lack of urgency in cleaning empty tables. She said they were short staffed. I think if this issue is resolved, and inside acoustics fixed (so it isn't so loud), everyone wouldn't need to request to sit outside. Thus making wait times less for everyone. -- We went last night about 7 pm. There were only a few people ahead of us. We weren't seated until 7:45. We asked for outside preference, inside is VERY loud. Literally the loudest restaurant I've ever been to! I couldn't hear myself think, much less have a conversation. Must be bad acoustics¡ something. Add music and it's insane. We saw three tables open up outside. They didn't clean them for 10-15 minutes. They finally did, but took their time, talking, and taking several trips. They seated us inside. It was intolerable, I told hostess there are three empty outside. She said there's a party of five waiting. I said, right that's the front table, there are also two empty in the back. She didn't seem to care. The food is good, just need to remind staff to have more urgency in turning over tables. I'll give it another try, not on a Friday or Saturday night.. read more

I was starving so I had to stop somewhere to get dinner. I ended up at Ponce's. It is on the western edge of Kensington so the parking is horrific. There is a small secluded parking lot to the west of the restaurant but it located near a dog park so I suspect that the parking was full because the cars are from dog owners, restaurant employees and neighborhood residents. Needless to say I couldn't find parking so I had to park about two blocks away and walk, which was fine. Just be warned. Gave me an excuse to walk off my dinner. I came through on a Thursday evening. I was surprised by how loud the inside of the restaurant is. Between the music and people talking, you can barely hear anything. 90s hip hop and R&B and 70s class rock was playing. I was an interesting eclectic mix but I enjoyed listening to the music. I was seated directly in front the kitchen window so I could look directly at the cooks. It was a little odd looking up and having people observing me. On the other hand, watching them work was interesting too. The tables are super close together so getting in and out of the tables was quite difficult. You will practically fall in the lap of the table next to you as you go to squeeze into the table. I ordered the house margarita as it was on happy hour. It was stronger than I expected. Could really taste the tequila. Liked it! Also, part of happy hour was the deal of three tacos for $5 (which the purchase of a beverage). I selected shrimp, carne asada and carnitas. The tacos are about four, maybe five, bites. The chipotle sauce on the shrimp taco was great. Just the right amount of kick. The carne asada and carnitas were fine. Nothing extraordinary but they did the trick. I love cheese so I had to get the queso dip. I added chorizo to it. I ordered the large as I wanted leftovers but it was still too big. I should have got the small. I had cheese coming out my ears. I was able to eat the cheese for two days at home. It microwaved very nicely. Just make sure to place your chips is a zip lock bag and they will remain fresh and crispy. I had to wait until my check came to find out that my waiter was Arturo. He didn't introduce himself. He never came over to check on me but I could have waved him down if I needed something. He was hustling and working everyone. I usually like being attended to but I still had a good experience. I ordered a bowl of albondigas for lunch the next day so I appreciated the care that was taken to wrap saran wrap around the to go container so the top didn't bust. Very nice touch. The broth of the soup was great. Didn't need to add any salt. The bowl came with four large meatballs. I could cut them with my spoon. The vegetables were cooked perfectly. Wish there was a bit more veggies but the taste was legit. I visited my parents the following day and raved about the albondigas soup so my mom insisted me go for dinner that night. So I came back the following day and had an even better meal. We were served by Jon. He was very conscientious and quick with bringing us our food and checking in to see we had everything we needed. We ordered the enfrijoladas to share along with the queso dip and albondigas. We enjoyed everything. We even took soup home for my dad and he liked it too. He is a picky eater so him saying it is good is a great endorsement. I will continue to return. Want to come back for breakfast. read more

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Delicious! I really like the tastiness of the food and the margaritas are very good too. Thank you.