BLUF: I LOVE Vallarta Express. This little local drive thru has a few indoor and outdoor seats as well. Staff has always been super friendly and accommodating for modifications to orders. The burritos are HUGE! Admittedly, every time I try to take a picture it just doesn't look that appealing, but holy cow they are so good! I love that their chips w: cheese is actually real melted cheese, not gooey sauce. Their hot sauce is delicious and they recently updated to sauce packets rather than containers that sometimes would pop open making a mess. Location can get busy but it's worth the wait! read more

Food was alright at best, got to the drive through was trying to order, and the person taking my order yelled at us because he couldn't hear us, maybe instead of yelling you ask us pull up? Just thought... hmm I got a burrito, and by the time I got home it was cold, and it's only a 8 minute drive! Next time I went though the lady taking my order was so polite and knowledgeable so, not that bad after all! Pro tip: don't order from the passenger side, you will get yelled at... P.s. make the breakfast all day! read more

Every time im in San Diego I have to stop by this place even if it's out of the way! Been coming here since 2012 when the burritos used to be bigger and cheaper believe it or not They have multiple locations and I love the drive thrus! The food is S tier but what makes this place shine is the iconic red salsa they have. It is too die for! The Christian fries are my guilty pleasure they are the best carne asada fries I've had I think it's because it's the only place I know that throw eggs on top! I recommend the California burrito or the surf and turf burrito it's so fire read more

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One crunchy beef taco $6.30. INSANITY. But, ok, I'm hungry and I'll treat myself today. No tomatoes or pico in the taco. When I asked, they had the nerve to try to charge me 81 cents. No manager on duty. If you're charging these extreme prices, at least do it right. So disappointing. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Had to come back here after some disappointing burrito recs from TikTok. It's a place that reminds me my college days and it tastes almost exactly like I remember it although La Perla and Sayulita's probably have my top spots for SD burritos right now. I love how generous they are with the meat. Beef is a bit on the chewy side but good smoky/char flavor. Fish burrito was also pretty tasty, but I felt heavy afterwards because of the mayo-based sauce and the sheer size of the burrito. Their orange and green salsas both taste good. Small parking lot and drive-thru available. 3 seats available indoors and outdoor bar-type seating available. I think their Clairemont location is somewhat better than their Pacific Beach and Mira Mesa location but not super significant. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - carne asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I love me a good California Burrito and love trying all kinds from different places. Now although this wasn't my absolute favorite, for what it is--especially being a 24 hour Mexican restaurant--This was really good! It did have quite a bit of guac but honestly I looooove guac so I wasn't mad. The lady over the mic was quick and simple with ordering but hey I'd do the same if it was 1am. The place had a cool theme with their parrot shown on their salsa packets. However those packets are difficult to open and scary for potential messes. Overall definitely recommend, it's better than most places I've tried and it's a solid California Burrito for those looking, especially if you have those late night munchies! read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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I always love Vallarta Express and they are very generous with the carrots and jalapeños, and the hot sauces. They are open 24/7 which is great! FYI tho, they also serve menudo so I ordered it one evening, expecting it to be the same as the Filipino menudo's and it was not. It also has a very strong smell, I don't think they cleaned it really well. I will never order that again. I end up throwing it away, haha. However, everything else they serve here is delicious. I love the carne asada fries, that is usually what I'd get or the carne asada burritos, I'm that simple and easy. Be careful coming here late at night tho, there are lots of drunk drivers ordering at the drive thru and they drive really dangerous. One time one dude even fall asleep in his car while at the drive thru, so stay safe. read more

The Asada Burrito was ok, but not as good as the California burrito. If I go back I would definitely get the California burrito since it's the best burrito you can get there. The final price was more than I expected. The service was quick and they give at least 4 packets of sauce. I personally liked the green sauce more than the red one. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Asada Burrito- Total price was $14.50 with taxes, etc. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Best breakfast burritos around and their green salsa and the orange one is soo good. They are huge and a good price for what you get. Service was amazing and fast. Highly recommend for breakfast burritos! read more

I ordered my fiancé a California burrito right now and she complained that it tasted like the burrito was made this morning with cold cheese. I paid 18$ for a bad burrito and unhappy fiancé. The staff were not nice either. Not coming back. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - California burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Our go to for breakfast burritos, the perfect balance of eggs, cheese, potatoes and refried beans. Their carne asada burritos and the bean and cheese burrito hit the spot as well. The orange salsa is the best around. Huge portions. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Horrible experience the other night at this location. I pulled up to the first place to order like I usually do no answer from staff pull up to the second still no answer. Then I pull all the way up to the window and this employee comes at me super hostile yelling at me (the customer) about how now there's a big line of people and it's my fault. Refused to take my order. This employee should be fired .. terrible way to treat customers. I have been coming to Vallarta Express for years and now I don't want to come to this location closest to my house because I don't want to deal with this individual. I usually don't write negative reviews but didn't hear anything back from company FB and will take it down if this gets resolved. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

TWICE i have ordered one thing and received another. Im fed up by the BS. The food is not worth the price or discrimination. Get cotixas across the street No way does carne asada burrito sound like "breakfast burrito" read more

Solid Mexican spot with huge portions! There's only outdoor seating under a small covered patio as the space inside to order is very small. Their tacos are probably the biggest I've seen and the carne fries are huge and probably could be eaten by 3 people. Toppings were plentiful for the carne asada tacos and fries though the carne asada was a bit dry and chewy. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Carne asada tacos and carne asada fries - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Solid Mexican spot with only outdoor seating! The portions are massive, and the tacos are the some of the biggest I've ever seen (given the price almost $6.50 each). The carne asada was a little dry for my liking, but the meat and toppings are plentiful. Decently priced for the size and quick and fast service read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Carne asada tacos ($6.50 each) - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Vallarta Express' menu is expansive. I come here every once in awhile because why not. I'm not snooty about fast-food. The staff here is bilingual and always have a friendly story to tell. Ordered the rolled tacos and very much enjoyed! read more

Sucks it's expensive but honestly very good quality it was kinda worth it. Definitely would come again read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Decided to stop by Vallarta Express since they are open 24/7! What a luxury! Coming from Norcal. Two of us ordered: -carne asada quesadilla $12.60 -carne asada taco $6.05 Portions are huge. The taco I was skeptical since $6 for a taco is a bit outrageous, but it was essentially a baby burrito. Unfortunately, if you wanted smaller portions, you might be forced to upgrade or eat a bit more.. Quesadilla was great for a late night meal...although I do wish there was sour cream. Tacos did not come with limes which was unfortunate. Ordered via drive thru. I did see some space inside that people were ordering from...not sure if there is seating inside. Again, for 24/7 Mexican food, I'm in! read more

As someone new to California, I'd always heard from friends that I had to try a Cali burrito. At first, I didn't even know what it was--I thought it was just any burrito made in California! When I found out it included French fries, I was intrigued and decided to give it a shot. After trying a few Cali burritos around San Diego, I'll admit I wasn't impressed over all the hype that was made. But last night, I was craving a burrito for dinner after DoorDashing all night and happened to be driving through the area, so I decided to stop by this spot. It's not a fancy setup--just a small lobby for ordering with very limited seating--but the cashier was friendly, and my food came out quickly. The burrito itself was huge! I honestly wasn't sure I'd be able to finish it. Not only was it worth the price, but it was also the best burrito I've had in a long time. The carne asada was juicy and tender with just the right sear, the guacamole tasted fresh, the French fries had a nice crisp, and they used just the right amount of crema so it wasn't a sloppy mess. They provided salsa packets, but I wasn't super impressed with them--they didn't quite match the quality of the burrito. That said, the burrito was flavorful enough on its own, so I didn't miss the salsa too much. Overall, this spot is incredibly convenient, being open 24/7, and the quality and portion size are absolutely worth the price. The friendly staff is another big plus! My only critique would be to improve the salsa to complement the burrito rather than overshadow it. I'd rate this place 4 out of 5 stars, but it's definitely a place I'll return to for a late-night burrito fix. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I feel like I'm biased because this was the first Mexican place I ate at when I moved to San Diego. I was in the area and was starving; this place was the first one that popped up, and I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad that I did. We got the surf and turf burrito, California burrito, chimichanga, and carne asada fries. What I didn't expect was the portions! The bag I was given was HEAVY. Every single item was good enough for two meals, and the food was so good. The surf and turf burrito had giant shrimp and so much beef. The fries were crispy and had lots of guac, which was nice (wish the cheese on top was more melted though). The eating area is outdoors and is a little small so be aware that most people stay for a quick bite or do take-out. Vallarta will always have a special place in my heart. read more

It's not as good as it used to be. Quality has gone down. I get the same thing BRC with Guacamole Burrito. The beans or the rice are not warm enough to melt the cheese. The tortilla was hard and falling apart. I can't stand the salsa in the packets. Try opening the salsa without it going everywhere and there is no way to put it down without it spilling everywhere. I am bummed because this is the consistency for the last year here and I just can't spend $13.00 for this burrito. Well it's 12.50 and now they charge you .50 to pay with your card. It's not worth it anymore. I don't think I am the only person that feels this way because for years you would have to wait in line for the drive thru or walk in .. now there isn't ever a line. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - BRC with guacamole- tortilla over cooked and dry. Falling apart! - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is a good place to go if you want something that is open 24 hours. The food here isn't the best but if you are craving mexican food this place is open! Their burritos are very fat though it is just meat and avocado, which is amazing. Not my favorite but if I am in a pinch I would come here. read more

Should be called "Sunsets Tacos" enjoy the outdoor seating area. Service is so fast I sometimes skip the drive thru for faster service. The outdoor seating sets a good vibe read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - California Burrito L Jamaica - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Pricey burritos but worth it. Huge and stuffed full of meat! Service was very quick and the horchata tasted amazing

We always come here since it's nearby our house and every time we order employees always seems like they're on a rush when taking orders. We ordered not even 30 minutes ago and the person messed up our order. Instead of burrito, he gave us fries and didn't. He didnt give us our grilled onions either. We got this pickled carrots instead which we never even order before. I hope they could do something about their customer service. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Food is expensive very 3 burritos for 40 bucks but besides that's the food is good and came here for a while. Service is normal and the wait isn't long. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I get food from here about 4-6x/month - I always use the drive-thru. I love the fact that they are ALWAYS open plus the food is good + the portions are plentiful! But what stands out to me is how they ALWAYS get my order correct! This speaks volumes as I have been patronizing this business for many years and in spite of how busy they are they have never (not once!) gotten my order wrong!! I get a lot of drive-thru at various places and when it comes to getting my order right - this place has never missed the mark. Ever. read more

I ordered a veggie burrito and my husband ordered an Adobada burrito. Both lacked flavor and there were huge chunks and pieces of food. Unfortunately, we can't come back to this establish. The salsa are also 0 out of 10. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I came by this place after a long day of running around on the beach and when I say it hit the spot, I mean it! They have a takeout-style of Mexican food including classic Mexican/Californian burritos (which is exactly what I ordered). The service is very fast, they hand you the food to the window like any drive through (or you can eat inside, we did not). The food stays good a while too, we took it to the sunset cliffs in San Diego and ate the burritos there and they were still very warm and delicious. The food here is simple, it didn't blow my mind, however: when you want a late night burrito -- THIS IS YOUR SPOT. read more

Been going to this location for a couple years now. Grew up with Vallarta in Mira Mesa and it's the same food at the Genesee location. Love the bean and cheese burrito and the Cali burrito. They are larger burritos than most places, which helps justify the price. Pretty much all taco shops have price increases, but it's good to know Vallarta hasn't gone down in quality. Lines are long at this location and can take a while. I've only done drive thru and most people have as well. read more

I may have my new favorite menu item: The steak fajitas plate. Last weekend, I was craving my fav local taco shop and planned to get what I always get- the combo plate with two hard shell tacos (sub beef for shredded chicken) and I drove up to a line pouring into Genesee. A pretty typical evening scenario TBH. So during my long wait, I decided to look through the yelp photos and see if there was anything else I might want to try. Not a lot of photos of the fajitas but when I clicked on a menu photo I saw the red text in the combo section stating # "7 to 10 served with rice, beans, caesar pepita salad, guacamole & tortillas." and the #9 options with steak or chicken (obv steak, same price as chicken!). Ok real talk: this is one of the most expensive items on the entire menu. Vallartas leans on the pricier side for taco shops but thats because the portions are huge, and the quality is very good. I would say restaurant quality and drive-thru convenience. "Good food served quickly" as they said in the Kenny Rogers Chicken episode of Seinfeld (The Chicken Roaster, Seinfeld: Season 8, Episode 8). But here is the deal...this plate is LOADED. so loaded, I have it for dinner, then lunch servings for 2 people, and then a final dinner after that. I'm sure having this as 4 meals is leaning on the generous side but DEFINITELY is 2+ meals in one. And its so good!!! The meat was cooked and flavored to perfection. The little salad this give you is a refreshing special thing, and the guac is legit with chunks in it and doesn't taste 'prepared' or anything, its fresh. Solid choice. worth the price. I do really love the hard shell shredded chicken tacos when I'm feeling some cheat comfort food. And for those late nights... the california burrito from Vallartas is my favorite in town and what I recommend to visitors. Unlike a lot of places, it comes with guac and sour cream (I request no sour cream), so heads up for that! Its all about the quality of meat here. You can smell it across the road at HD and Target. Gets me every time. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Steak fajitas plate - $16. Massive! - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

This was a college staple for the late night drunchies. I felt like the portions were smaller than before, but it still tasted great. I ordered the super fries with shrimp instead of carne which costed an additional $2.50. It comes with fries, shrimp, salsa, guac, sour cream, and cheese. Overall, tasted great! You have to get the salsas on the side! I love both the green and red (creamy deliciousness) Some parking in parking lot Drive thru option too Some seating outside under cover read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Super fries - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

TL;DR a poor person's wet dream, large quantity at a super affordable price with house-made hot sauce that is to die for It's been nearly six or seven years since I last came back to this spot after moving away but this place always impresses me. The proportions here are enormous in that it was larger than my forearms and the red sauce while hotter than what I last remembered was still as great as I remembered. Purely on the quantity of food, I would come back alone but the fact that the food has largely been unchanged and prices only about $1 - 2 more than a few years ago I would highly recommend anybody pinching pennies for a meal to swing by The space itself has been upgraded a little with steel countertops and the outside area is no longer tile. It felt overall cleaner and the same attendants and chefs were in the back working non-stop which I respect the grind. Usual order here consists of their super breakfast burrito with bacon and it was just as good as I remembered. If I had to nitpick I would have liked for the bacon to be a little bit more mixed in but otherwise nothing the sauces couldn't help alleviate. It was enough for two meals and even reheating the next day it still tasted just as good. Part of this could be nostalgia but given my general higher standards of food quality abroad I would say this place shocked me with the quality, quantity of food, and overall consistency with price/sauces read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - super breakfast burrito with bacon and red sauce - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Service is bad, half the time my burrito is not even wrapped. This most resent time, it was so bad it leaked in my car. The employees are short at best and outride rude sometimes. We won't be coming back. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Burrito came completely unwrapped, no foil - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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My cousin was coming to San Diego for work for a while, and we decided to get quick Mexican food for dinner. I've heard VERY good things about this chain - specifically this location, and this was the time to check it out! The location that we went to is located across of Mike's Red Tacos and Clairemont Medical Center, closer to Genesee Ave in the Genesee Plaza in Clairemont. There's a small parking lot for the shop but many more stalls in the plaza itself. I got their Surf and Turf Burrito, and it was HUGE. I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of the burrito (whoops), but it was as long as my forearm, maybe a little shorter, and about 3.5 inches wide! For the price we're paying for, what a steal! The burrito was quite good too! It was filled to the brim with steak, shrimp, Spanish rice, and guacamole which I LOVED. Definitely not skimping out on the fillings. The flavor and sauces for the food were okay; nothing too fancy and unique in my opinion. But they gave a little extra flavor to my burrito. I noticed a small discrepancy between my receipt and my credit card statement. There was an extra $0.50 charged (maybe because I used a card) but wasn't told about or shown on the receipt of the extra charge. It's very minor but something that caught me off guard. Just a future heads up for everyone that this might happen! Definitely a place for cheap, relatively good quality food as a late night food as it is a 24 hour spot. I couldn't finish my burrito and had a second meal the next day. Will be back in the future! read more

Stopped at Vallarta for a quick snack. It was in fact very fast but definitely more than a snack! These tacos were very big it was almost tough to pick them up. I had one carnitas and one carne asada. They were both pretty good, I preferred the carne asada. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Carnitas and carne asado tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

In a sea of shops serving up Mexican food in San Diego, it's really hard to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Well, while Vallarta Express doesn't exceed expectations by leaps and bounds, it does definitely perform much better than most, but not quite as well as the best in town. Long story short, they serve some quality burritos that are more creative than most places. The prices do seem to be a bit higher but with that you'll get a bit higher in quality, which is to be expected, I suppose. I believe there are a handful of locations around SD so if you see it settled in amongst other Mexican spots on the same street I'm confident to say that they'll most likely be the best choice. read more

Pretty tasty and sizable meal! I actually thought this was the "express" hot food stand alone restaurant for Vallarta Supermarket and get some muletas from the hot food bar (I wanted crunchy chicharron)! To my surprise and delight it is a local favorite so i just went for it! I went with the carne asada torta. It has fresh tomatoes and onions with avocado as well. It's a good size for $12. Bread was nice and toasted. Meat was dry (expected) but there's a selection of self serve red and green sauces with ramekins. It's built for drive through but there's some seating inside and outside covered. I'm glad I stopped here! read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Drive thru menu 1/14/24 - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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I noticed in some san Diego food forums, this place is always on the list when someone asks for recommendations on mexican food. Decided to check it out. It's is mainly drive through/take out. They have a small counter to sit inside for about 2-3 people and have a sit down setup outside as well. Lots of options but i noticed a lot of people ordering the fish tacos. I wasnt in the mood for that but next time i will. Decided to try the chicken chimichanga and carne asada nachos. Total came to about $32. Portions were massive. Good to share with 3-4 people. The pictures don't look appealing but the flavor was definitely there. Will definitely come back to try other items such as the christian fries and fish tacos. read more

Vallarta Express Mexican Eatery - Carne asada nachos - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Vallarta was a go-to when I visited my friends at UCSD, and I knew I had to return on my next trip to San Diego. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I originally visited... maybe it's best to visit during the busy hours when food is prepared fresh? Or maybe the times have changed? I ordered their signature Christian Fries, loaded with fried eggs, steak, and guacamole. What I tasted fell short of blissful nostalgia, from the dry steak to the soggy fries. Thankfully, the tastes themselves were still fine. What ruined the experience was mainly the texture of certain ingredients. read more

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