Rosarito's Mexican Food #1 — Restaurant in La Mesa

Rosaritos is my go-to mexi in my neighborhood. There are 4 in what I consider my radius from home and this one is the best. It's because of the salsa. It's a Ramon Lopez restaurant and has the same salsa as the OG La Posta #? in Spring Valley on Campo Rd. The food is 3 star but salsa makes it a 4. I don't know why they can't stop overcooking the carnitas and the beef, not all the time but most of the time. For the past 25 years the same nice lady takes orders over the phone and they always answer and she always says, 10 minutes to pick up, no matter what I get. It's cool that they sell beers in the bottle still. The prices are steep compared to what they used to be but I guess that's true everywhere unfortunately. Shrimp burrito has some kick even without the rad salsa. They don't stuff it full of rice and bean filler like most do. They make the chips there and they are great. Hot carrots are good, but not like El Patio in Chula Vista, which I think are the best in town. I always pass on the guacamole. If they had better guac I'd go there but it's too runny and fake green looking. The place is basic sit down with a video game machine and a small TV. Bare bones and best for take out or quick grindage. Please don't mess with the salsa and I'll keep...

2025: still excellent beans. Loving the Chile relleno burrito lately. Also love that they are open til 10pm every day.

2019: Excellent beans. You can tell they are made with lard and not bland vegetable oils. Breakfast burritos are on point thanks to the beans and excellent tortillas that are slightly crispy, but also soft and chewy with an almost pita-like texture.

One item I had that I did not care for was the fish burrito. The fish had a strong "fishy" flavor(usually indicates a lack of freshness), and was not beer-battered, but rather breaded(coated in breadcrumbs) like a frozen filet from the store. The white sauce was entirely unappetizing. It was thick, overly sweet and tangy, and reminded me very much of Miracle Whip. The burrito also had guacamole in it, which was not bad, but I would have preferred it without it(ingredients are not listed...

I grew up on Rosarito's burritos, hot sauce, and their Special Number 4 (which has ALWAYS been a great deal). Since my first taste of their delicious food, at least 30 years ago now, I knew I'd keep coming back. Now I live in northern CA, and any time I'm within 100 miles of this home town gem, I feast and then order a bunch of bean and cheese burritos to bring back for my friends and family who know just how delicious SoCal Mexican food cooked with manteca can be. It's a no frills serving area, but has come a long way from their yellow Formica booths, and they now have nice tables and chairs. Call in your order ahead of time and avoid the wait during the dinner hour. If you live nearby, I'm jealous, because you get to enjoy Rosarito's on...