El Veganito — Restaurant in La Mesa

Today my sister and I decided to try this place because it came highly recommended by a friend. Unfortunately, what should have been a pleasant experience quickly turned into frustration due to the poor customer service.

Here’s what happened: My sister ordered first, and I went right after her. I clearly ordered tacos de papa, a side of rice, and a bottled Coke. The cashier entered my order, I paid without double-checking, and when my food came out, I noticed I was given beans instead of rice. Mistakes happen, so I didn’t think much of it. My sister, who was standing next to me when I ordered, politely took the beans back to the cashier to let him know I had ordered rice.

Instead of simply fixing the issue, the cashier immediately insisted that I “did not say that,” dismissing both of us. Shocked, my sister repeated that I had ordered rice—she heard it herself. The cashier grabbed the beans, repeated that I was wrong, and then spoke to the cook in Spanish in a dismissive tone. At that point, we already felt uncomfortable, but I still got up to pick up my rice, thanked him, and started to walk away. That’s when he sarcastically told me to “have a nice day” in a rude, mocking tone.

What could have been a small misunderstanding turned into an unnecessarily unpleasant and disrespectful experience. In any professional establishment, you do your best to resolve issues respectfully and ensure the customer leaves satisfied. Instead, this cashier chose to argue, dismiss, and belittle us over something so minor.

For a business that likely doesn’t get much foot traffic, I’m shocked by how little they value their customers. It’s one thing to make a mistake—it’s another to treat paying customers with attitude and make them feel so uncomfortable that they don’t even want to sit and eat there. Most businesses at Grossmont Center don’t last long, and with this kind of service, I can’t imagine this one...

El Veganito is by far the best, most traditional vegan Mexican food I have had! I got the horchata and the tacos de papas with rice and beans and everything was extremely delicious. The rice and beans looked a little boring and I thought I would have to doctor them up with hot sauce when I got home, but just one bite and I realized they were so full of flavor and weren't lacking in any way. The cheese and crema on the tacos de papa tasted so real I almost questioned that they were vegan and definitely wish I could get my hands on some! Although they were just filled with potatoes, the tacos were super flavorful as well and the shells were the perfect consistency. It definitely reminded me of the socal/Mexican food I'm used to growing up in San Diego. The horchata was very fresh and tasted homemade with a good blend of spices (definitely tasted like more than just cinnamon). I just wish they were closer to north county because I would be going...

This might be one of the few infamous reviews. I had been meaning to visit this place for over 5 months. Having read the reviews, I was super excited. I drove an hour to reach this place. We ordered Sopes and Veganito burrito (with Jackfruit). It’s not the first time that I’ve tried vegan mexican food. Honestly, the food didn’t live up to the hype. At best it was average. I’ve had better vegan mexican food in San Diego. The Sopes were too salty. And the burrito was too bland and lacked flavor, particularly the jackfruit. The only good thing was the green salsa. I would not recommend driving there just for food. If you happen to be in the area it may be worth a try. If you want to drive for vegan Mexican, I would recommend Phatties in Escondido (suggestion is...