Mitla. MEX RESTAURANT 604.N 604 MT. VERNON ST

Mitla Cafe has been on our list for a very long time. Over the years we have seen celebrity chefs eat here, and review it. We have done Route 66 and never have hit the restaurant when we could stop and eat, so on the way back from Joshua Tree National Park and a little bit of a detour, we made time to have lunch. So glad we finally got to eat here. The restaurant has been open in this location since the 1930's and is a gem in San Bernardino. We were seated right away, our server came over immediately and brought water, chips and salsa. The first basket of chips is complimentary, but you will pay $2.99 for a second basket, which I don't have a problem with. We both decided on our dishes. I went with a shredded beef taco, and Mr. B had the two enchilada plate with a shredded beef taco. The taco shell was crispy, filled with tender shredded beef, fresh crispy lettuce and lots of cheese. Sounds basic I know, but it really had an authentic taste to the dish. I did snag a couple of bites of one of the cheese enchiladas filling Mr. B's plate and they were amazing. He loved his plate, again the taco was filled to the brim, the two cheese enchiladas were filled with perfectly melted cheese and a unique and flavorful red sauce. They were not the flat enchiladas many Mexican restaurants serve, these were full of cheese and so good. The plate did not have rice and beans, which was great too. The plate was filling enough. We found street parking which was nice. The food was excellent, service great, and you feel the history within the walls and the photos that fill the walls. If we find ourselves in San Bernardino we will definitely eat here again. Note, that I didn't notice any vegan options, vegetarian options with the cheese enchiladas which are filling. Also, the menu states no substitutions and they mean it. So don't go in expecting to order a plate of food and change it, you can't. I believe others have complained about this, but we didn't have a problem with it. Sometimes you need to eat the food how it is prepared.

If you know the story about Glen Bell (Original owner of Taco Bell) then you know Mitla Café… the same café that inspired this dude to create his own crunchy shelled tacos! Since I was in the area for a show, you know I had to check them out! Didn’t find out till later but they actually have their own parking lot (100 ft on the left behind the restaurant) , there was parking in the front but people drive sooo close to the car you have to wait to get out. As soon as you walk in it’s like a mini diner with barstools and to the right is the dining area. This place really felt cozy and was already decked out in Christmas decorations. The chips and salsa were good, Ordered the special combination plate – salad, rice, beans, chili con carne, taco, enchilada, and chile relleno. Taco ala carte – shredded beef. Shared all this with my partner, it was more than enough, we even had left overs! Let’s talk about the food. Stoooooop, dressing the salad ahead of time, it wilts and taste’s terrible, everything else was bomb! Yes Yes Tacos crunchy and delish, enchilada typical, Chile relleno, big portion, rice and beans good!

Love the atmosphere lovely resteraunt friendly service yummy homemade tortillas great food I wanted the chicherones but they had that a certain time of the week so it’s a must I go back ??

As good as our best Mexican restaurants in Tucson. Glad to have found this on our visit to San Bernardino.

Route 66 old school restaurant since 1937. Excellent food, great service and good beer selection. Margaritas are wine based.

This place was SOOOO good. We loved it. The best chile rellenos I have ever eaten!!!!! The staff was SO friendly, and we literally cleaned our plates. Totally exceeded expectations!

Hometown family restaurant. Good atmosphere, very clean, and followed guidelines put out by CDC. Our waitress Aranxa was very friendly and attentive, we came to try the original taco that inspired Taco Bell, very impressed with the food, unfortunately the wait for for our three tacos was almost an hour wait but I’d say worth the wait. Horchata and Jamaica was refreshing and full of flavor. A spot not to miss if you’re ever in the historic city of San Bernardino. Definitely will order from here again.

I'm sorry to say that while our hotel recommended this small Mexican restaurant, we felt most of the food offerings were sub-par. I'm afraid I would advise to give this restaurant a pass.

A bit noisy and always busy this place is paradise for locals and Route 66 trippers. We we were recommended to this restaurant by our motel as the place to go for Mexican food and it did not disappoint. History - Taco Bell has doors here although not a pleasant story — check it out. Parking? They have their own lot across the street.

Stopped in for lunch while traveling Route 66 through the area -- location was recommended by the author of our guidebook, and we were very happy with our meal. Our friends from the UK were impressed by the tortilla chips -- said they were the best they'd ever eaten! Our meals were plentiful, tasted great, and held us well through dinnertime. Also, we're vegetarians, and there were many excellent options to choose from. Our server was very attentive. Enjoyed the meal!

This place is well worth a visit. Across the street from Mitla , was the location of Bell’s Burgers. Glen Bell noticed how busy Mitla’s was ,and ended up duplicating their cuisine and founding Taco Bell. Mitla Cafe was founded in 1937 and is one of the first Mexican restaurants in the US. The food is really good. The ambiance is really cool. My beef tacos had real steak in them and not ground beef. Little things make a difference! Cesar Chavez loved the place and frequently visited. Located on the iconic Route 66 this place is iconic in its own right.

Loca native all go to Mitlas. The food is really just average but since the restaurant has been at it's location and we all grew up going there, it's more a habit than anything. There is a waitress that is the best in the world! We were there during a very busy week night and she handled the entire restaurant by herself! We didn't get her name but she was unbelievable!

In the area for a sport event over the weekend and decided to eat here. The reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor were all great...a local favorite, great service etc. I'm not sure what restaurant those people ate at but it wasn't here. I'm typically the type of person who writes good reviews and believes everyone deserves some leniency in quality. This being said the service was excrutiatingly slow, inattentive and unapologetic. Chips and salsa and then 20 minutes for water with a mouth on fire. Forgot a beer, ran out of soup, mixed up tacos on a combo and and about a tablespoon of cheese on a quesedilla la. The bill was inaccurate and generally very overpriced. It's obviously built on a legacy of being on Route 66 but to a visitor it's a sad commentary on Mexican food, it's not rocket science but this place could be a "falling star."

While staying in town, I did a google search to find restaurants on Route 66...this place popped up, and the whole party is glad we stopped. The food was excellent - order the combination plates (minus rice and beans) and specials, was just enough food and we left feeling satisfied. The wait seemed it bit off - restaurant did not seem very busy at the time (they it very well could be with the great food), but we only saw the same few staff members...maybe they were short staffed. We were seated right away, and were provided with chips and salsa, but it took a while to get drink orders.

Nice little restaurant which serves good Mexican cuisine. Good service, would eat there again, hard to find parking though.