Fidel's Little Mexico — Restaurant in Solana Beach

Ok... How to appreciate how bad this place is...

Look at the time of my post. Christmas eve!

We showed up and it was relatively busy and we had a big party (22 people). But, they told us that it would just be 10-15 before we were sat. About 45 minutes later we were not sat and many people from our party were asking for a status update. Again, "you will be sat in 10-15 minutes". This continued again for another 45 minutes. At this point, the staff was beginning to sign out and prepare to go home and the restaurant was getting empty. We had still not been sat, despite being told "10-15 minutes" almost 2 hours earlier.

At this point, the restaurant manager sat down at a table near us so he could watch the live boxing event on TV. When we approached him to explain the problems we were having, his approach was to try to turn it around on us. Saying that we should know better to have a big party on Christmas eve. Our point was that if they couldn't serve us, they should not have told us "10-15 minutes". This guy clearly did not care about our bad experience at all. No apology. No real explanation or telling us what was going to happen next. Just a bunch of bad attitude expressions and then disappearing.

Around 30 minutes later, some people had their food and some did not. But, nobody was really sure if it was what they ordered, etc. A complete disaster. We finally had enough and told the staff to cancel what we ordered and that we were going to leave. The manager literally called the police on our party! I was surprised that the police showed up at all. But, they only stayed for a few minutes and realized that it was a nonsense call and left.

Look at my other reviews. You can see that I am a generous reviewer. I only give bad reviews for places that truly earn it and this one may be the worst of all. Our family will never step foot in this place again no matter the circumstances.

... And that is just the service! Lets talk about how bad the food is:

The food is unseasoned basic elements of Mexican food. It looks and tastes like beans from a can and unseasoned chicken. The salsa doesn't contain any fresh tomato. It's more like a spicy marinara sauce. The absolute worst Mexican food in the area. Thankfully, there is a much better restaurant right next door (and of course dozens of others down the street).

Do yourself a favor and skip this place. Jerk management...

Easter Sunday 2021 visit. At first seemed that we arrived right on time for good service and a peaceful, pleasant dining experience. Not so. Our server, who was wearing gloves (completely inappropriate use of PPE, which I know too well as a hospital nurse), thus cross-contaminating everything she touched. I was tempted to leave as soon as I saw that. Staff should be SANITIZING THEIR HANDS, NOT WEARING GLOVES! It got worse from there. She had no menus for us. Instead, she told us to "scan the barcodes" taped to the corners of the table! How about hand out PAPER MENUS or MOUNT THE MENU on a portable sign or on the wall? We had to go into our phones (what if we had decided to dine without them on our person?) and try to find the menu on line! VERY BAD! (My elderly parents, who still drive and go to restaurants, don't even use cellphones!) As we started eating, after our food was delivered with gloved (disgusting and unappetizing) hands, a large party started to file in at a very nearby long table. They became OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD (not solely by the number of them) as if they were at a private residence. There should have been some effort made to seat them in another open area in the other outdoor patio. At that point, we were ready to leave. I hadn't come close to finishing my meal so I asked for a box. I also asked for another of the TINY containers of green salsa (I asked for it on the side). The server told me we would be "charged for it" so I said forget it. The food is good, NOT GREAT, and VERY EXPENSIVE. It is a very bad business model to nickel and dime customers for inexpensive, massively stocked items such as salsa. That was the last straw for me. The filthy gloves. No menus. LOUD LARGE party destroying the ambience. Charging for salsa. Our last experience was bad too (we waited well over an hour to be served, and learned that we had, indeed, been forgotten, as we watched customers who came in after us be seated, served, finish and leave, as we sat waiting for our food...NO COMPENSATION just "sorry about that"). So I will never ever go back. There are better places to eat, lower prices, good...

When we first moved to North County San Diego from NY in 1980 we asked our newly found painter where was their most favorite restaurant. Without hesitation they recommended Fidel's Mexican restaurant in Solana Beach and it quickly became our go to stop especially when friends visit. While we left Carlsbad in 1985 we returned each year making sure we went there several times. In 1997 we moved back and quickly found this was the only place for Mexican food.

We have tried dozens of Mexican restaurants around San Diego but always return. Fidel's located at 607 Valley Av Solana Beach CA 92075 constant wins Top Restaurant of the year and there is good reason.

While from the street it looks small but built on a hill the downstairs has numerous rooms including two outside patios and two bars. The sign says it will hold 380 and I believe it. The smaller rooms allows a better setting than one big room and it feels more private.

As the history goes it was an original barber shop in early 1960 and the owner Fidel Montanez added tacos to serve his thriving hair cutting business and those waiting. It was a quick success and seeing it had a future he converted his two story home adding patios and two bars. Looking inside you can see the internal set up of a home only to imagine him and his family living there.

It is decorated with wonderful pictures and makes you think of many places in Mexico

An interesting story when we left for 12 years and moved to Florida I was introduced to a family who also relocated to Florida. When we learned the actually came from the same town in CA I asked "what is your favorite Mexican restaurant and they quickly said "Fidel's"

Now back in San Diego it is still our go to place and if you have never been there...