Rodrigo's Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Temecula

No Margaritas for this crowd, so all manners of booze is excluded from this review. Bathrooms overall clean, but my female companion commented that at some level of the toilets it was very discouraging. In the Army when inspection time was at hand, Sergeants use to wear white gloves, and touched surfaces in all areas and it better be clean. Most restaurants due to management inertia fail miserably in key areas, and those that do not are a joy to frequent. Don’t get me started on the kitchen areas, double hard. Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill is big in size, located in a very nice and growing area. We decided once again to eat Mexican food, knowing before hand, that unless one picked the more expensive dishes, it was to be expected the same refried beans, Mexican rice which is really cooked with tomato, sour cream, and mostly fake guacamole that probably comes in bulk. Quality of food is what is hoped for. Dishes ordered: Combination plate with pork tamale, and for a little extra a ground beef enchilada, $14? Beans tasty, rice good, tamal smothered in the classic components, acceptable. Enchilada also smothered in sauce and cheese, no surprise, very easy to eat. 3.5 Stars. Combination plate again, with chile relleno which hit the right spot for my lovely companion, and the same tamale $13.25. Tamale masa decent, filled with meat. She said next time, God Willing, 2 chile rellenos, for double pleasure. 4 Stars. Combination plate again, hey don’t blame me for thinking at the time it was a smart choice! Tamale, Chile Verde (pork meat), Chile Colorado, $14.59, meat pork but red color. Chile Verde chunks of green peppers, no tomatillo sauce to be seen, a really bad choice. Chile Colorado somewhat better, Tamale acceptable, but no award 🥉 winner. 3.5 Stars. Carnitas, $15.25. Roasted pork, pico de gallo, fake guacamole, sour cream, beans and rice, and tortillas that my blunt friend found oddly tasting, but content with the selection overall. 4 Stars. Chips fresh and warm, salsa enticing enough, service eager and cordial even after a few more salsas were requested. Server clean cut and fast to please any additional request. Compensated properly for the whole team efforts. Ice Tea kind of nice, promptly refilled. Nice people for sure. Curious for the albóndiga soup 🍲 they offer. Place moderately busy on a Wednesday around 7 PM. With $12 off coupon but having to buy at least two drinks, $58.52 plus gratuity, came to dangerously close to $70. Better than most, not as good as...

It's another Thursday so I ate Vegetarian today, as usual. I was in Murrieta for business so I searched Google Maps for a Mexican Food restaurant. I picked this one because I have eaten at Rodrigo's in Corona several times and enjoyed it. (See my Review of that branch.)

This is a newer building in a larger shopping center. The interior decor is nicely appointed. It is separated into a large bar, with plenty of seating, and a separate dining area, with booths and tables. At Four O'Clock in the afternoon, it was sparsely populated.

The Men's Room was exceptional with all surfaces sparkling clean and excellent architecture for privacy -- although there is only one urinal.

Now to the food. In a word, it was bland. Nothing had any spiciness: From the salsa to the salad dressing to the cheese to the beans. To be clear, I am not a fan of hot spiced food, no matter the culture -- So, for me to find something mild, it must be really blah.

I started with chips and salsa (no additional charge). The chips were crispy but not warm. The salsa was served in a miniature molcajete and was chunky but quite bland. Next up, a Dinner Salad ($8). While the lettuce was cold and crispy, the Bleu Cheese dressing was very plain -- so much so that I wonder if there was any real bleu cheese in it!

I chose the two-item combo with cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans ($11.99). Where do I begin? Everything was very plain tasting. The cheese was close to Velveeta quality, the mole-style sauce was almost tasteless. The rice was under-cooked. The De La Olla Beans were like something out of a can. I cannot over-emphasize how everything tasted so mild and uninteresting.

The service was not stellar, either. While everyone was nice, they were also slow. I spent about four minutes at the front desk before a hostess came to seat me. The chips, salsa, and water came pretty quickly but it took many minutes for the waiter to greet me and take my order. After I was served, no one came by to check on me until I had nearly finished my meal. (I could have used a teaspoon to eat the beans but no one showed up to ask me.)

Bottom Line: I cannot recommend this branch of Rodrigo's because the food was bland and the service...

Flavor of the food at Rodrigo's Mexican Grill in Temecula was consistent with their other restaurants, but some things at this location were just off. It's a pity too, because this place looks nice & new- modern inside.

When we got our tortilla chips, we noticed they were a bit stale. The server also brought us 2 bowls of salsa- one for each of us. This we appreciated, however one bowl had no tomatoes or onions in it & was basically salsa water.

When I got my iced tea, which goes for $4, BTW, I noticed it was very clear in color, like it was weak, or watered down. The tea was also served in a smaller glass, than tea I've ordered at other Rodrigo's.

When our food plates arrived, my wife commented on how skimpy, the amount of shredded beef was in her taco. In comparison to other Rodrigo's locations, I noticed my taco didn't have as much shredded beef in it either, nor was it overflowing with shredded cheese, as the tacos at the Laguna Hills Rodrigo's are.

I got the 2 Item Combo for lunch- & it was $15.99. I ordered a Shredded Beef Taco & Chile Colorado. My wife & I both noticed half the plated area, where Chile Colorado Sauce was, had no chunks of beef on it. Clearly a skimpy portion, compared to other Rodrigo's we've frequented.

Our server was polite, & attentive to our needs. He was very good!

The main problem we found with Rodrigo's Mexican Grill Temecula, were the details regarding the food, aka skimpy portions & amounts of food, compared to sister locations of the same restaurant chain.

Also, on our way out of here, we neared 3 hostesses, by the front door. They were busy chatting & laughing, & completely ignored us, as we walked within feet of them. They couldn't be bothered to say, "Have a nice day," or Thanks for coming in," or frankly, anything.

We won't be back to...