Mediocre at best...over priced Americanized cold food. Only thing good is that the carne asada meat tastes like it had been previously grilled. I ordered a carne asada burrito no guac add sour cream and cheese. EVERYTHING in this burrito were cold! My husband ordered a number 2 plate. An enchilada with no melted cheese on top and inside COLD...this was an expensive choice for a taco shop and wasnt good at that. I suggest that anyone seeking stick with the local hole in the wall shop, much better food there! read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

A classic. After reading these reviews I was looking forward to the rude service, but I couldn't find any. All I could find was good food. Fresh fried chips. I always get the chicken enchiladas with green sauce, but you can get whatever you want. No pressure ;) read more

This is the best Mexican food I've had in a long time! Their Christian Fries are to die for with crispy bacon, fried eggs, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and it's huge! Great for 2-4 people! Customer service is great, they are all friendly, and the place is super clean and nice. Definitely recommend to everyone. read more

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Excellent chilaquiles w green salsa. Couldn't take a pic , cuz I forgot to take a pic and I ate it all! HELLA GOOD

Horrible. I ordered 2 valid burritos and got cold cheese with a little bit of meat instead. Not going to be going here anymore. The lady's there were not all that kind either. If you want cold cheese then this place is for you. read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Today I went to get breakfast and the employee inside the drive-up window had their mask pulled down under chin, texting on a mobile phone, while I waited to pay. We are done visiting Vallarta. I have a photo if management wants to see it. read more

Since Vallarta Express is close to my work, it became my go to for fast and yummy meals However, if you order going to the drive through expect to wait at least 15 minutes unless you are lucky! I highly recommend you ordering before picking up The fish burrito, chicken soup and Vallarta bowl are to die for read more

I was able to try out Vallarta's about a week after it opened but haven't taken the time to write a review until now. Quite amazing at the speed that Vallarta's has been expanding throughout San Diego. So I'm sure that most people understand that this is a local chain taco shop that caters to the late night crowd, as their locations are always open 24 hours and sport a drive through for convenience. Just like their Genese location, the parking lot here really freaking sucks and it sucks even more when their drive through backs up, so be warned. This area of La Mesa isn't exactly a taco shop desert, as there's at least about six in the close surrounding area, so it'll be interesting to see which ones survive it out. Their menu is the same as their other locations, prices include about $7 per burrito and quite close to $9 for a usual combo plate. I ended up grabbing some food to-go, as I like usually eating my Mexican food at home. The interior of this place is quite nice, very clean, modern with their cool touch screen soda machine and plenty of seating. They also have some tables outside but not much shade. Unlike their other location, here they have a real salsa bar featuring three different sauces and some veggies for sides. They do have hot carrots, but you have to purchase them because they're behind the counter. The quality of their burrito's here wasn't inline with what I was expecting for $7.50 for a California. The burrito came wrapped in foil which is nice, but it was pretty damn skinny and small. When opening it up (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vallarta-express-la-mesa?select=9uJSMBDQIOKWpRpqjZysQQ&userid=H1x-M7zrDWbtnSAW6ZZznQ) you can see they stuff it mostly with filler, but it is nice that it includes guacamole and sourcream free of charge. The issue with that much filler, is the burrito was actually cold when I got home, since there wasn't really much meat or fries to counteract the colder stuff.. Fries ended up being soggy and the tortilla shell was luke warm. Disappointing experience, but tasty burrito, the carne asada was great stuff and I did enjoy their guac. Also tried some of their tacos, the buffalo chicken (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vallarta-express-la-mesa?select=7pRi5vpunsalKzJOfT9_Cg&userid=H1x-M7zrDWbtnSAW6ZZznQ) wasn't something I've seen in most places. The chicken was breaded, fried and flavored with some spicy sauce. I must say the taco was pretty damn good, I enjoyed the buffalo sauce and crispy chicken. It was a decent sized taco for $3.85. The fish taco (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vallarta-express-la-mesa?select=FzIqWEfNwhbojcGwaYNQyA&userid=H1x-M7zrDWbtnSAW6ZZznQ) I had here was great as well, huge piece of battered fish and plenty of refreshing veggies on top with a dollop of white sauce. I'm hoping they are able to make some better burritos in the future, because dropping $7 on a burrito and getting it small and cold isn't a way to do things around here. Ingredients were good like I said, so perhaps just a better cook would help things along. I enjoyed all the salsa that I got here and their hot carrots were good stuff too. One thing they stand out here is service, very friendly cashier and they were quick in the kitchen at getting things out. Only thing to watch out for is their crappy parking lot. read more

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Got two tacos, two quesadillas and a burrito. Paid $36.00. Everything except for the quesadillas was ice cold, not sure if they freeze and re cook the meat or what. The quesadillas were SO oily we couldn't even finish one piece. Overpriced crap, literally. read more

Let me just start off by saying I am DISGUSTED and in shock! I went to this location 05/03 around 11pm and ordered a California burrito. It wasn't until I got home where I cut my burrito in half, ate the first half and realized everything was OLD. The carne was cold, the fries were hard and dry and the cheese was not melted AT ALL. I started picking apart my second half and LOW AND BEHOLD there is a receipt in my burrito! During these unprecedented times with Covid19, I almost ate a receipt paper or order number had I not been already disappointed in the order to begin with! This should be a health hazard and this place needs serious inspection! read more

Vallarta Express - Receipt paper in my burrito - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Got two burritos and both were terrible. Insides were cold and lacking flavor. I got a veggie burrito and it didn't have any beans, lettuce, or pico de gallo. Only peppers mushroom and eggplant? Very unpleasant. read more

The food was the fully prepared as the burritos we ordered were cold. Secondly they did not put a lot of meat in our burritos. However they did give us a few extra hot sauce read more

Vallarta always has some of my favorite burritos! They're always loaded and love it with their red sauce. They never skimp on portions and provide a generous serving. They are quick and efficient as well. read more

This place is very clean inside and out. The offer both indoor and outdoor dining, as well as a drive-thru. The outdoor patio is actually really nice especially at night when the lights are on. With every visit so far, we have not been disappointed. The workers are friendly and the food comes PACKED. My favorite place for carne asada chips (around $9). BOMB. Overall: Go here if you're having the late night munchies, you won't be disappointed. read more

Our go to. Awesome burritos and tacos. The best hot sauce around. I wish I could buy it by the bottle, or bribe someone for the recipe. I've been to 2 of their locations and both of them are on point. Never had a bad time at Vallarta. read more

We stopped by late last night to give this new place a shot. Upon entering, I was greeted in a condescending tone. "Hello, flaca." Yes, skinny. Way to state the obvious. I can only guess that you meant this as an insult. I think the more insulting part of the whole deal is that you are in La Mesa and assume that your customers are all non-Spanish speaking. So, gorda, thank you for the sub-par fish burrito. This skinny girl could have eaten the whole thing but it really wasn't that great. -Flaca read more

if I could give this restaurant a zero I would. I went the other day through the drive-through and picked up a large order. I realized they did not give me any lettuce, so I stopped and went into the restaurant. I asked for some lettuce and I was told that I would need a receipt. So I went back out to my vehicle and bought and all the food but there was no receipt. Only the paper with what I ordered. I said, is this good enough. He said no I would need a receipt to get some lettuce. I said they did not give me a receipt. All I want is some lettuce. He said he could not give me any lettuce without a receipt. I was starting to get upset at this point. He told me to calm down and I told him to calm down. I said all I want is some lettuce. While this was going, on all the other employees were just standing around dumbfounded. I said again all I want is a small amount of lettuce. And I was telling the other employees too all I want is some lettuce. And then they started to discuss amongst themselves whether they would give me any lettuce. Finally, they gave me a small container of lettuce. Worst customer service I've ever encountered. I will never go back again. read more

Three-star rating is not reflective of the high-quality food here. Best menu items: 1. Rolled tacos (beef or chicken): I think they give you about six. The rolled tacos are thick. 2. Mahi burrito: it's huge. With salsa and cabbage. 3. Super chicken nachos: the size of Qualcomm Stadium. 4. Mahi taco: mahi piled on taco like a mountain. 5. Tostada Grande (Chicken): comes with retried beans and guacamole. The size of Petco Park. read more

This is the third time in a row that they have screwed up my order in the drive thru. Three times I have asked for no beans on my breakfast burrito and have asked again at the window to confirm as they were handing me the food. Every time it has beans (which I cannot eat due to allergy). I have called to complain after I got home 3 times and every time the woman refuses to speak with me, acting like she can't hear me once I tell her I'm not calling to order food. This is the second Yelp review I've ever posted and am only doing it because of how badly I was consistently treated. It's a shame because the food is good- but doesn't matter if you can't eat what you order. I've wasted over $25 on food I can't eat and they have the nerve to have a sign that says "call us before you Yelp so we can make it right". I wish I could give none or negative stars because of the bad attitude. read more

The veggie quesadilla is so delicious! I added grilled chicken for more protein and more deliciousness.

I love this place. From their icy kale island of a salsa bar to their breezy, covered patio outside. It's all good. Rolled tacos and a nice, cold mug of draft beer are a serious guilty pleasure of mine. Almost lunch time so...gotta go. read more

Horrible horrible food. I went to the drive though window after a long day and ordered a pollo asado burrito. I bit into the COLD burrito and the dry chicken. Not a good combination. People are not dumb. They know if food is not fresh, unheated and sitting for a long time. That's not the worst part. I called them immediately to let them know just in case their cook is not experienced, but the man on the phone said to me "ok, is that all." I told him please don't do this to your customers and he said "anything else" The man spoke good English when he took my order, so my conclusion is that they really don't care and that is worse than having horrible food. I thought I found a new taco shop but I am going back to my favorite in Santee, Cazadores read more

only tried the Vallarta Express on Genesee Ave and decided to try this location. ordered the super fries which did not disappoint in serving size and the amount of toppings they give you was insane. unfortunately, no picture of the fries but a menu to help you decide ahead of time. read more

Vallarta Express - august 2020 - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

First time eating here, i walked in to a freshly mopped floor soaking wet, smelled like bleach, yikes, do this after hours people. The floor at the cook line was a mess. Still I hung in, fish taco was excellent, bean and cheese was ok, cheese was cold and not melted. Probably won't go back. read more

March 20, 2021 8:15am I was driving home from work and decided to go to Vallarta's. I wanted something a little bit different, so I ordered a chorizo burrito with french fries and sour cream. All I want to say is this is one of the best burritos I've ever had. I want to thank the person who made this burrito. Everything was spread out evenly. The chorizo was delicious. Its not chopped up like most places. It actually has some texture. The fries soaked up some of the grease, and I love the combination of sour cream and cheese! I will be back for this burrito! Thank you again! It was perfect! read more

Late night hunger strikes so we (out of town) search yelp and find this hidden gem! Service was fast price was excellent! The servings were huge! The meat was tasty! Hot fresh ! Great food available late and generous portions. I will come again if ever in town again ! read more

They need to bring back whoever was making their burritos cause they suck now, I could put up with the rude af cashiers cause the burritos and the salsa were bomb but now it's just sad, I know times are hard and we're struggling but you guys need to put foil on your burritos like before cause they're cold on my 10 min drive when before they'd be hot, also the meat on my asada burrito was not asada it was downright boiled, first bite I took I was so sure they gave me the wrong burrito... no, they're just not doing their meat correctly. I honestly don't know what happened here but these were the best burritos I've ever had and now it's just sad. read more

If their food wasn't SOOO GOOD i wouldn't return. This place has the worst costumer service. No one ever seems happy here. The employee's here need to lighten up. Every time i go through the drive thru i get such attitude from who ever is working. I've never had a pleasant experience here. Like i said if the food wasn't SOO GOOD and you literally get what you pay for ( A LOT OF FOOD!) I would not return. Please do something about your employee's attitude. **UPDATE Manager said he "retrained the staff" and we decided to give this place another try but ultimately what he said was not true. Same shitty attitude tonight from the girl with tattoo's. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! It was like we were bothering her that we were there to order and she was yelling at my husband when he asked what their burrito had inside. To which my husband asked why she was being so rude and she said because they were busy.. so you guys hire people that are rude to costumers just because it's busy? What you guys need to do is have better management and employees. This girl needs to be fired. It's always the same read more

YES YES YES SO GOOD! Best carne asada fries I've had in a WHILE! The meat is delicious and doesn't taste like it's cheap or under seasoned. LOVE that it's a drive through - I can get my fix in my jammies! My hubby LOVES the philly tacos - a delightful take on a classic, and he's FROM Philly! I can't wait to try more, and I'd gladly go out of my way for their yummy food. read more

I happened to be in the area and needed something quick and convenient. The food is OK. The salsas have a really good flavor. I got the steak bowl and was not disappointed with the generous amount of meat that was in the bowl. As opposed to other reviews, I did not have any issues with the staff, the cashier was friendly. My only complaint would be that the drive thru itself is a little tight. I thought I was going to hit my truck so beware. read more

Vallarta Express - Steak Bowl - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Ordered a California Burrito and Adobada tacos. The carne asada seemed to be low quality, the consistency of the meat was weird. The adobada tacos had a lot of meat but the flavoring was really bland. There are closer taco shops that much better in price and flavor. read more

This was my first time dining here. I used the drive thru which was a little slower than expected-there was only one car ahead of me and it was 9:45 am. I ordered the Vallarta bowl with steak since their breakfast plates were a bit heavier than what I wanted. Or so I thought . . The Vallarta bowl is MASSIVE! And delicious, full of steak, rice, pico, and avocado. It came with a free 16 oz. drank, too. Can't beat that wit a stick. read more

Vallarta Express - 2 ppl could easier split this bad boy - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

I've had mixed feelings with each visit I've had here, but what won me over was that I could get chicken soup at the drive thru when I'm not feeling well. I had no clue what to expect with their soup, but I thought I'd take the chance on it and I actually enjoyed it. With the lime, onion, and cilantro, the flavor was pretty well rounded and reminiscent of the caldo I'd have at my Mexican mother-in-law's. What I wasn't entirely crazy about on other visits were the breakfast burrito with ham. This was filled with eggs and potatoes, not so much the ham. The beans didn't taste very fresh either. I got this not too long after they had just opened, so I'm not sure if that was a factor. I've tried their crunchy beef taco, and I feel I may as well get the rolled tacos instead. Their Vallarta bowl with a free drink was nice and delicious, with plenty of pico. I only had a few bites of this though since it was my husband's dish read more

UPDATE: I am very pleased with the excellent service Vallarta's has shown! Once I posted my first review last week (seen below) I later received a message from the manager stating that if I came in with my receipt, I would receive my free 5 burritos, and a complete refund of my order. I came in today and all my orders were delicious and most importantly CORRECT! I got everything I was promised in the message! Very impressed with Vallarta's! Will be coming back often! Wow this is completely unprofessional! This place seems nice on the outside... but they messed up all of my orders! Out of the 5 BURRITOS we ordered, only 1 was right ! They were falsely labeled! We got home to eat, and no one received the correct burrito. Very disappointing. read more

This place is great! The inside looked very clean and they have a huge outdoor patio to eat outside. They have a salsa bar with different salsas, lime, and jalepeños. It all looked really fresh! I ordered the super nachos with steak. It's topped with refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, steak, and of course cheese. I like mine with pico de gallo, so I ordered a side of that. It was delicious! It had the right amount of everything, and not too much cheese like most nachos. My favorite part was the chips! The chips stayed so crispy, even with all the guacamole and sour cream on top. I hate when I go somewhere and they serve nachos with chips that get soggy right away. But these chips did not disappoint lol. I tried all of the salsas and they all had great flavor. They also serve breakfast and have a drive thru here, I'll definitely be returning! read more

Vallarta Express - So yummy! - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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As I drove up into the drive-thru lane, I saw the A rating, which is always a plus. I made my order and I could understand the young lady on the other end. That's a plus. I got a huge burrito but I thought she handed me a brick. The burrito was still warm, tasty and I'm ready for another one. read more

Look, happy to see this taco shop join the neighborhood. This is tough for me. Normally they produce solid food, awesome carnitas, epic shrimp burrito, good vegetarian options and textbook hot sauce, red(orange) and green. This place deserved a good review, but it took a below average experience for me to get to yelp. When you get to the window, there is a sign that asks you contact them for any issues prior to posting on yelp. Here we are... Ordered a CA burrito, cause its been years since i had one. Received leather strip meat, with partially frozen fries and cold shredded cheese in the burrito. They added some guacamole, nice. Called in to let them know it wasn't great, and I did not want anything in return or replacement. I started by thanking them for the good food they serve, but after giving some constructive criticism, they hung up on me. read more

So pleasantly surprised!! I was a little frustrated when I found out yet another Mexican food place was going in when there are at least 4 in a small radius of this place already, but I was so pleasantly surprised at their original menu items and the food is absolutely delicious! We tried the Philly burrito, the chicken rolled taquitos, and the fish tacos. This place knows how to feed you! Huge portions and the food is so full of flavor. Chicken taquitos are usually pretty dry but these were perfect and you could taste the spices they used in the chicken. Their horchata is also perfect blend and not watered down like some. Overall, I am so pleased with this place and am happy to welcome them to the neighborhood. They definitely will continue to get my business. read more

Like the food , but idk if it's just mainly the night people. But I usually come here because I want real food unlike tacobell . But they always have attitude. Need better customer service read more

BEST TACO PLACE IN LA MESA!! Since all the good Mexican shops are in the South Bay, this is MY GO TO!