Hacienda's Mexican Food — Restaurant in El Cajon

One of mine and my family’s favorites, Been coming here for over 8yrs. Haven’t lived in El Cajon for the last few years but when I’m in elcajon city, I definitely stop by! Food is ALWAYS GREAT, customer service lovely. Till today when accused that my dog had peed, neither did not! The eldest of the two, she did knocked of a cup of water over. The lady who’s been here since the beginning is always kind, sweet and friendly. Knows most my family even knows her, always me ask about the family! She had came to mopped it up right away. For the girl who’s been here now maybe I’d say 7/8 months or so. Comes by and says, my dog had pee on the floor! I told her no, that it was water and tells me it’s not water, it’s pee! She was very argumentative about it, even told her she can speak with her co worker but wanted to keep saying it is pee, it is! if it was pee, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want it to mop it up instead of using napkins(and very little), saying it was pee, but I did not see no pee on the napkins. Then says this is why we don’t allow animals in here! Mind you mines are service animals. And my eldest is very potty trained. We have been in there several times Since I’ve had the one, the other, yes was a puppy, but we’ve never once was told they can’t be inside! Wasn’t told this until today while I was bagging up our food to leave! Thats when the good experience ended and turned into a ugly experience. Our pup was never once on the floor after the water had been mopped. She was in one of the chairs laying down. I did apologize to the girl about it, but had a very snappy attitude about how she has to be the one to clean it up, which if my animal did I would’ve cleaned it myself. But wanted to go back-and-forth with me. Also about how they should be wearing they vests(mind you we do have to wash them, so they won’t always be wearing) Just rude, offensive and argumentative attitude! & just to add, I keep track and timing of the pups pee to avoid pee accidents. Why we leave and within 3mins she went pee!? We was there maybe 15-20mins. She wouldn’t have went again that quickly. If you have a dog/pup the owner should know and this one definitely...

I used to come here all the time 15+ years ago in my late 20s when I lived in San Diego before I moved away. It was really good then and it's still good. They have really beautiful outdoor seating. They are not the best at wheelchair accessibility but they do have outside and two seating areas on the inside for wheelchair. There's a bump to get in the door for wheelchair ♿️. Prices are 💲💲,but so worth it. The green and red salsa & chips are really good. We had the chimichanga combo & tea with lemon on one check (k loved it). On the other check, we had a cheese enchilada (ala carte), coffee ☕️, water 💧, coke & beef tamale 🫔 combo (really good in the moment and later for dinner). Serving sizes on combos are big. K and I would not have been able to eat the whole plate at the restaurant. We visited Friday 6/27/25 at 10:44am.

I ordered my tamale 🫔 combo with no cheese, and when the waiter brought it out, it had to go back as I'm lactose intolerant and will get sick from eating lactose. When we first arrived, there was no host downstairs. My auntie had to go find someone to serve us. We did not get menus until after our drinks were served. There was a gnat flying around the table that was pretty annoying.

Their main inside dining area is only accessible via stairs, something to keep in mind if you dine with someone in a wheelchair ♿️ or...

Hacienda's Mexican Restaurant in El Cajon is a hidden gem and easily my favorite Mexican spot in the San Diego area. It’s a family-owned, local business, and you can really feel that in the quality of their food and the friendly service. Their carne asada is hands down some of the best steak you’ll find at any Mexican restaurant—tender, packed with flavor, and always cooked to perfection. Whether it’s in a burrito or on nachos, it’s absolutely delicious and clearly made with high-quality meat.

I’ve been to a lot of Mexican restaurants around San Diego, but this one stands out. The ladies at the front are always welcoming and kind, and the whole experience here is always great.

Honestly, I just wish they had more locations! I live in downtown San Diego, and if they were closer, I’d probably eat here several times a week. If you’re in the area and craving some authentic, top-notch Mexican food, especially carne asada, Hacienda’s is a must-try....