MexicanBar — Restaurant in Poway

MexicanBar replaced Mexi Cocina which I loved for the past 20 years but it tanked the last few years.

Came to MexicanBar for lunch on a Tuesday. They offer a taco Tuesday deal of $2 off $13 two tacos or $3 off $21 trio taco plate. You can add rice ($2), beans ($2), salad ($3).

I got two tacos of Baja fish taco and shrimp taco. Also flour chicken flautas.

Flautas are my all time favorite. Rarely see it on the menu. I tend to associate an authentic Mexican restaurant to having flautas because most of the time places offer rolled tacos.

I was excited but disappointed with the flautas. From the look of it, I could tell it was going to be hard not crispy. I took a bite and it wasn’t airy fluffy crispy and tasted like rolled tacos. It was deep fried too long, the chicken was bland and dried out. It was topped with sour cream, cheese, creamy guacamole that doesn’t seem house made and drizzled with not so fresh cilantro. I wish it had pico de gallo.

The tacos had flavor in the sauce and pico de gallo but the beer battered fish taco was overly fried making the batter hard and crunchy. Had more batter than fish.

Parking here can be tough on days with Orange Theory and the dance studio going on at the same time, along with Harney Sushi. For the most part, you’ll find parking.

It’s modern and clean. Lots of seating in the dining area, the bar side and patio seating.

I can see coming here for drinks to have a good time with the complimentary chips and salsa. But the food needs more TLC. 2.5 round to 3.

My friend ordered a Baja fish taco and carnitas w added rice. They forgot her rice and gave her Baja shrimp taco instead of the fish. Not sure why they couldn’t remove the charge for the rice, instead, gave...

Been going to Mexi-Cocina for years. Seen it at it's highs and lows as it has changed ownership several times over the last 12-15 years I been going. But now...

I has completely changed. I don't mind the interior remodel, it is nice and I like that they kept the painting of Mexi-Cocina in the bar and moved it to the main dining area. The chips and salsa are great, the corn tortillas are really good, but thats where it stats to drop off.

The staff kind of make it feel like they are trying to just move customers in and out, even though it wasn't busy at all. The menu is missing key mexican restaurant items like Fajitas, Soups, Mole and Tomales. The server never came over to ask how the food was, how we were doing, if we needed anything else, or came by for refills. My meal I ordered chili relleno & enchilada, both of which were luke warm, borderline cold. Only time I saw my server again was when she came over with a card reader to get payment.

Felt very pushy and not like it use to be at all. Before at Mexi-Cocina, we would be greated, staff was friendly and treated us like family/friends. Now its changed names, menu, and all its staff.

Will not being going back under...

I have to say the service given to us by our very friendly kind and welcoming server was the highlight of our visit at this restaurant. We had not been here since the change in ownership and we were pleasantly surprised. There is patio seating outside along with tables or booths inside. They have a good variety of beers on tap and our server gave me a great alternate recommendation based on a brand I like. Food: the salsa is delicious. A little smokey with the right amount of heat that doesn't overpower the flavors of the ingredients. We ordered steak and chicken fajitas which were both cooked perfectly and sizzling hot when delivered to our table. We had the corn tortillas which were the thicker variety which worked great for holding together when piling on the delicious fajitas with the accompaniments. The fajitas were served with a small plate containing Pico de Gallo, guac and sour cream. (It would have been nice if they also had some refried beans and rice). The two orders of fajitas generously fed 3 adults with some leftovers to bring home. 3 beers and two fajita dinners came...