El Dorado Authentic Mexican Food — Restaurant in Chula Vista

El Dorado is one of my favorites out of the many excellent under-the-radar Chula Vista Mexican restaurants that need to be getting more love than they do.

They serve a fantastic "Shrimp Taco" owing mainly to their sizable shrimp, sweet and clean, battered and deep-fried until crispy. Slaw and white sauce on top are on-point and applied in reasonable ratios, and the red sauce from the salsa bar is pure fire and must be added. The "Fish Taco" is the same thing, but with fish instead of shrimp. It's a decent fish taco, but it doesn't work as well as the shrimp does.

What you must really get here, however, are the "Camarónes a la Diabla," a dish consisting of taut prawns in a spicy, rich, and garlicky sauce of roasted tomatoes and chipotle peppers. In San Diego, I have never eaten a superior version of this coastal classic than what is served at El Dorado with rice, refried beans, and fresh avocado to take off some of the fiery bite.

I want you to love this place, so I must manage expectations appropriately: El Dorado is a low-key and quiet "mom 'n pop" restaurant in a small strip mall, probably more ideal for lunch...

Came in here based off previous reviews, well it was disappointing. It was pretty much empty, except for some family or friends & a business neighbor next door to them. The prices were a bit high in my opinion, +$25 for a plate of two Chicken Enchiladas, rice & beans & a drink. The food was good, enchiladas and beans, and the rice was ok. The service or lack there of was the main negative. Took them about 5 minutes to attend me, then after I got my food, was never spoken to again. Didn’t get the usual attention you would normally get, no one came back to ask “is there anything else you need” or “how is everything” or “how is the food” or “would you like anything else”. I guess since I paid first (ordered up front before I sat down) I and had already received my food, I was no longer relevant. After I was finished, I basically just left since no one ever paid attention to me anymore! Considering how small a restaurant it is, the service should be way better, instead of giving family or friends more attention, your clientele should be your first priority!! Especially considering they’re who keep you in...

I was reluctant to try the Seven Seas Soup, but it looked so good in the picture that I ordered it. It was so foreign to me that the waiter had to explain to me how to eat it. I have to say... it was heavenly. My kids inhaled their enormous chicken quesadillas. I could not believe how much meat the cook stuffed in it. My friend's beef fajitas were awesome too. There's a dessert listed... the only one that the average English speaker wouldn't be able to pronounce; take my advice: ORDER IT! It was AMAZING! I give the service 5-stars. The waiter was incredibly accomodating. I would equate his service to those at the finest of restaurants. Above all, the food was very affordable. We had a coupon that required a minimum order of $35 to receive the discount. There were five of us and we had a hard time reaching a $35 total. I ended up ordering tomorrow's lunch to-go (after dessert) because I hadn't reached our goal. I'm definately going to...