EL CILANTRO MEXICAN GRILL

Got too meet the owner eric! super nice, hard working, dedicated guy. absolutely love the food here the birria is amazing everything is well seasoned and overall a great cheap place to go too!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Al Pastor

The salsa is great, and so are the el pastor tacos. The burritos are ok, I would stick to tacos here. Make sure to check your order before you leave tho, they get it wrong a lot lol

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

Flavor in San Diego

El Cilantro Mexican Grill is one of those places that reminds you why simple, well-made food always wins. From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with warm, friendly service that makes you feel like a regular—even on your first visit.

The food is outstanding. The carne asada is tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned, the tacos are fresh and generously filled, and the burritos are packed with bold, authentic flavors that hit just right. Everything tastes freshly prepared, from the meats to the salsas, and the portions are more than satisfying for the price. This is comfort food done the right way.

What really sets El Cilantro apart is its consistency and heart. It’s not trying to be trendy or overcomplicated—just honest, high-quality Mexican food made with care. Whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch or feeding the whole family, this spot delivers every time.

If you’re in the San Diego area and craving real Mexican food with great service and excellent value, El Cilantro Mexican Grill is a must-visit. Easily a five-star experience.

Terrible service and the meats they serve are fatty and disgusting

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Twice have I heard the cashiers talking about me, my order. As if I can't hear. Reading the comments, I see I'm not the only one complaining about this.

Food: 5

Service: 2

Taco Tuesday for dollar ? I didn’t know they do that still out here

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve lived in El Cajon for over 15 years, and this is the first time I’ve experienced such excellent service. The store had the best stock, the best customer service, and truly outstanding team members. Thank you for the great experience — I will definitely be coming back.

¡Excelente servicio y muy buen equipo! ¡Ánimo, compa!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I order 12 adobada tacos and 6 tacos de carnitas. The adobada tacos were good but when it came to the carnitas, it was horrible. The carnitas were bitter and sour, the smell wasn’t there due to all the other ingredients but when I took a bite out the tacos I had to spit it out because it tasted rancid.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Used to eat here when I lived in Santee. Left 6 years ago, and was stopping in El Cajon briefly for work. Had to grab dinner at El Cilantro. Didn’t disappoint. The food was amazing as it always was. The owner came out and greeted me too.

Don’t skip the Surf and Turf burrito. It’s so good.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Extremely greasy

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

Food is sincerely very fantastic. I highly recommend that chicken quesadilla with white cheese. My only disappointment is they have a difficult time with honoring their own sales and promotions. Today is Wednesday and should've been 10% off my total and that was not the case as you can see on my receipt. Is it a dealbreaker? No. Am I annoyed? Yes.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

So I order birria ramen. We wait for about 20 minutes so my food was cold I came to told the cashier about it and she was super nice about it try to fixed the problem but the cook aprovech me and say next time I will give you boil food. I just like my soup to be hot i wasn’t asking for anything unreasonable for him to be mad no happy at his reaction

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Great experience and even better food. Highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I love their tacos!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Everything costs too much these days! Goes for all businesses.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5