EL ENCANTO SD — Restaurant in San Diego

Had breakfast with a good friend early this summer. El Canto had caught my curiosity because I run into it all the time whenever I buy my fresh produce that’s right next door.

I have lived in the neighborhood for about 35 years and have seen several Mexican restaurants come and go at this location since the Chinese restaurant left (early/mid 2000s). The outside is well maintained, inviting and decorative for a “hole-in-the-wall” and the inside of the restaurant looks just as nice. Modern, decorative, charming, with all the fixings. Ambience was on point. I’m surprise though, the prices on menu are just as high as that of higher tier restaurant in Southbay. This restaurant is not even located at/by the beach.

Food was good. I recall ordering my favorite, chilaquiles. My friend had the same along with orange juice drinks.

Not sure who was serving us, but I recall several female staff standing around by the register/kitchen area and they were not the cook. Could have been family members. They should not be standing around though, at least look busy or attend to the customers. Server(s) were not attentive at all, no fluff to their work personality, no one checked in but was available when I requested for a glass of water. They were not rude, but they definitely need to be trained on better customer service. Perhaps, it would also help if servers spoke English. Almost forgot to mention, we were greeted and seated immediately.

I remember food did not arrive at our table immediately, was more on the slow side. Our dish and other stuff eventually came around without issues.

Not really sure if I would return to El Canto unless I want to hangout for some coffee but that is why we have a Starbucks across the street. I recommend that food menu prices aren’t raised, to be more conservative...

A month ago I visit for the first time, ask for red chilaquiles and paying extra for machaca side I the plate.. my daughter ask for chipotle chilaquiles with a side of chorizo…. Well the chilaquiles where more like paper thin tortillas like the ones for chips & salsa from a pre- cook from a bag, they don’t look like they fry the tortillas there, the red sauce was playing tomato sauce with no flavor whatsoever, they sprinkle the sauce very poorly. My food was warm not hot. They got so soggy with the little bit of sauce they put on it, the side of machaca was a soup full spoon of it wich means almost nothing and that was $3 dls for extra charge for that!! The beans, the potatoes had a good flavor I gotta give them that. My daughter plate was the same paper thing tortillas that the sauce make them go soggy before you can start eating but it had good flavor , the side of chorizo was very poor we’ve too.. and was half way in to my plate and still waiting for my drink till like almost 20 min later. I order a side of grill jalapeños and she brought it almost at the same time I of my drink. We did wait almost 40 min total for our food. I was very disappointed for being my first time. For people who knows and likes chilaquiles, maybe you can get something else. I would give it another try ordering something different maybe. I’m not saying everything is bad cause I haven’t try it. But sometimes first time try can be for ever...

I've visited El Encanto a couple of times, and while it has its positives, it falls short in some areas. The atmosphere is lovely, and the place is spotlessly clean. The coffee is pretty good, and the decoration is nice. However, despite the owner being present, there's a lack of managerial presence and warmth. The service is basic and efficient, but not particularly friendly or attentive.

The food, unfortunately, is just okay. I've tried a few dishes, and they're not particularly impressive. It feels like the kitchen is playing it safe, and the menu could benefit from more creativity and flavor. The queso fundido was supposed to be melted cheese, instead, it was dry and not very pleasant to see.

Overall, El Encanto is an okay place to grab a meal, but it's not somewhere I would go out of my way to recommend. With a bit more attention to customer service and culinary creativity, it could be a real gem. For now, it's just a solid, middle-of-the-road option.

Pros: Nice atmosphere, clean, good coffee, nice decoration

Cons: Lack of managerial presence, basic service, food is just okay, not...