This place is beautiful. It takes my back home (Guadalajara)The food is amazing, authentic, Mexican food. I always get upset when I go to taco shops and call that Mexican food!! This is for real!!!!They have a full top shelf bar, the bar is big and beautiful, the de or is breath taking.Thank you for bringing a little bit of home to San Diego!!Parking: You park on the streetKid-friendliness: They have a kids menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
amabel herrera
This place is definitely going on my list of favorites in SD! Such a hidden gem.Great food, drinks, and impeccable service! Thank you, Michael, you’re awesome! I’ll definitely be back. ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aaron Wyant
Everything was great. Christina our server was amazing. Drinks were always full.This is a place you must visit but just know there is a secret service charge that is very tacky I thought. I would rather know I was paying more for something than to be charged for something I did not know about. :-( this is why my review is only 3 stars.The food was amazing too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carol Ieromnimon
This place was a delicious surprise! My family and I came here and on a late notice called the restaurant and they held a table for us; we were a party of 8. The inside and outside of the place provides tons of seating and still space between parties (not clustered). The table we sat at was equipped to serve a Viking war party! So much space! The chips and salsa are flowing and they are not stingy with getting you extra for the table. I ordered the chicken barbacoa not knowing what to expect and was stunned with my dish. First off, they plate it in a cute personal sized crock pot pan which actually yielded about 2.5-3 meals worth of chicken. It was beautiful braised and impeccably seasoned. So tender, juicy and hit of spice. But what blew me away is their refried beans! My god these bad boys had my taste buds dancing and singing praise! This would legit be my requested last meal on death row. All the dishes my family got were also just as amazing. My boyfriend got the sirloin enchiladas and man did that red sauce have a kick! It def got his forehead sweaty while eating; if you’re not a spicy person I wouldn’t recommend but if you are you better try these! Their rice is also very tasty and I enjoy the portion they give. Overall I love this place and will definitely be a frequent guest.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yesenia Yessy
We had the Jefa molcajete and it was delicious ?, but the portions were small. The smoky pepino cocktail was refreshing. I like hot salsa and the Chile de árbol salsa is tasty .. will definitely come back ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Nurse Grace
Upscale Mexican good! Delicious fresh twist on everything. Stellar happy hour menu! I got the taquitos, street corn, fondito, and cantarito with spicy bitters added for some heat! You know a Mexican restaurant is legit when the chips are fresh and warm and the salsa is fresh made - super rico!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joël P.
To begin, we really enjoyed the ambiance and the large outdoor area. The outdoor music level was absurdly loud and we had to request it be lowered twice just to have a conversation. The tortilla chips provided when we were seated appeared to have been crushed into dime, nickel and quarter-sized pieces and the oil used to prepare them was evidently beyond the expiration date. House red wine was a real disappointment. Enjoyed the chicken nachos but the cerviche was chewy and tough. The main course of mexican lasagne was good, but drowned in queso and a very small portion. The price of two tacos was high for what it was. The Birthday Lava Cake lacked all flavor...it was brown, dry and lacked chocolate. Service staff seemed bored. Not a fav.
Thomas M.
Went during Happy hour mid week! Special menu half price, but only during Happy hour. Great food. Not crowded this time. Excellent service! with unusual special drinks. Oh by the way they are using paper straws!
Marisa D.
My fiancé and I went to casa Gabriela for our anniversary this weekend on their first day of brunch opening! It was a risk as we didn't know what to expect but they exceeded our expectations! The service was amazing and we were wished a happy anniversary several times. They were very attentive even as if got busier throughout the morning. The food was great, I really appreciate the concept and delivery of the food, I think they mixed American classics with Mexican classics very well. Overall a great experience and I will make it a point to visit whenever I visit San Diego!
Yaz S.
Went to this place due to the good yelp reviews, however I do not understand how their yelp reviews are so high. We were a big party, I understand that, how ever the wait for everything was extremely long. After the food finally came out my food was burnt. I ordered the Diablo shirt quesadilla and all I could taste was the burnt flour tortillas. Also we ordered a pitcher of their spicy Margaritas, they forgot to add the spicy ingredients so instead of taking make the pitcher or margaritas and bringing a fresh one bartender comes out and just splashes the spicy ingredient into our glasses. For a fancy restaurant there was nothing fancy or delicious about this place.
Another 5 stars for our experience last night. From the moment we sat down at the bar the service was on point. Waters, chips, menus, drinks all within no time at all. The ambiance is great with the right amount of decor, candles, and music at the perfect volume. We ordered skinny Fortaleza Cadillac margaritas with Tahin rims. Excellent. We then decided to share the Tabla de Antojitos and a Cesar Salad. The appetizer plate was delicious with plenty of food for 2. Sweet potato taquitos, queso fundido, chicken tinga emapanadas, and a bacon wrapped jalapeno which was my favorite. The Cesar salad was chopped and had the most amazing croutons. Dressing was thick, creamy and very garlicy but tasted great. Another great experience at Casa Gabriela.
Sandra N.
Love this place, great atmosphere, great happy hour! Our bartender Michael was great! Definitely coming back!
Maya R.
Visited Casa Gabriela last week, and I gotta say that I was expecting more. The decor is nice and the service was great. Unfortunately, I didn't get our waitress's name, but she was very nice and attentive. I ordered the smoky Pepino, and I really enjoyed it. For dinner, I ordered the Enchiladas Marisco Suiza, which looked delicious; however, it didn't taste as good as expected. It tasted too fishy for me. the sauce or crema tasted great, but i didn't feel that complimented the seafood. However, I did enjoy the beans, and I got to enjoy them with the complementary chips.
Shannon L.
I visited this restaurant with friends to celebrate a birthday. Everyone raved about the food, and it was amazing. But I wanted to especially rave about the care and customer service of our server Jeremy. I am vegan (ugh, I know) and there were no strictly vegan options, but Jeremy helped me curate some cauliflower tacos that were delicious, even asking the chef to prepare a batch of the corn without cheese. Note to others: The guacamole (without cheese) and the refried beans, salsa and veggies are all vegan.
Carolina Snider
It was first time at this restaurant and I will not be back. I ordered off of the restaurant week menu and it was very disappointing. The ceviche was a little bowl of cucumbers with two tiny pieces of fish. My corn lasagna was cold in the middle and bland. The tres leches was ok but had a lot going on. Overall, dinner was not good.
This place is beautiful. It takes my back home (Guadalajara)The food is amazing, authentic, Mexican food. I always get upset when I go to taco shops and call that Mexican food!! This is for real!!!!They have a full top shelf bar, the bar is big and beautiful, the de or is breath taking.Thank you for bringing a little bit of home to San Diego!!Parking: You park on the streetKid-friendliness: They have a kids menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is definitely going on my list of favorites in SD! Such a hidden gem.Great food, drinks, and impeccable service! Thank you, Michael, you’re awesome! I’ll definitely be back. ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything was great. Christina our server was amazing. Drinks were always full.This is a place you must visit but just know there is a secret service charge that is very tacky I thought. I would rather know I was paying more for something than to be charged for something I did not know about. :-( this is why my review is only 3 stars.The food was amazing too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was a delicious surprise! My family and I came here and on a late notice called the restaurant and they held a table for us; we were a party of 8. The inside and outside of the place provides tons of seating and still space between parties (not clustered). The table we sat at was equipped to serve a Viking war party! So much space! The chips and salsa are flowing and they are not stingy with getting you extra for the table. I ordered the chicken barbacoa not knowing what to expect and was stunned with my dish. First off, they plate it in a cute personal sized crock pot pan which actually yielded about 2.5-3 meals worth of chicken. It was beautiful braised and impeccably seasoned. So tender, juicy and hit of spice. But what blew me away is their refried beans! My god these bad boys had my taste buds dancing and singing praise! This would legit be my requested last meal on death row. All the dishes my family got were also just as amazing. My boyfriend got the sirloin enchiladas and man did that red sauce have a kick! It def got his forehead sweaty while eating; if you’re not a spicy person I wouldn’t recommend but if you are you better try these! Their rice is also very tasty and I enjoy the portion they give. Overall I love this place and will definitely be a frequent guest.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had the Jefa molcajete and it was delicious ?, but the portions were small. The smoky pepino cocktail was refreshing. I like hot salsa and the Chile de árbol salsa is tasty .. will definitely come back ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Upscale Mexican good! Delicious fresh twist on everything. Stellar happy hour menu! I got the taquitos, street corn, fondito, and cantarito with spicy bitters added for some heat! You know a Mexican restaurant is legit when the chips are fresh and warm and the salsa is fresh made - super rico!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
To begin, we really enjoyed the ambiance and the large outdoor area. The outdoor music level was absurdly loud and we had to request it be lowered twice just to have a conversation. The tortilla chips provided when we were seated appeared to have been crushed into dime, nickel and quarter-sized pieces and the oil used to prepare them was evidently beyond the expiration date. House red wine was a real disappointment. Enjoyed the chicken nachos but the cerviche was chewy and tough. The main course of mexican lasagne was good, but drowned in queso and a very small portion. The price of two tacos was high for what it was. The Birthday Lava Cake lacked all flavor...it was brown, dry and lacked chocolate. Service staff seemed bored. Not a fav.
Went during Happy hour mid week! Special menu half price, but only during Happy hour. Great food. Not crowded this time. Excellent service! with unusual special drinks. Oh by the way they are using paper straws!
My fiancé and I went to casa Gabriela for our anniversary this weekend on their first day of brunch opening! It was a risk as we didn't know what to expect but they exceeded our expectations! The service was amazing and we were wished a happy anniversary several times. They were very attentive even as if got busier throughout the morning. The food was great, I really appreciate the concept and delivery of the food, I think they mixed American classics with Mexican classics very well. Overall a great experience and I will make it a point to visit whenever I visit San Diego!
Went to this place due to the good yelp reviews, however I do not understand how their yelp reviews are so high. We were a big party, I understand that, how ever the wait for everything was extremely long. After the food finally came out my food was burnt. I ordered the Diablo shirt quesadilla and all I could taste was the burnt flour tortillas. Also we ordered a pitcher of their spicy Margaritas, they forgot to add the spicy ingredients so instead of taking make the pitcher or margaritas and bringing a fresh one bartender comes out and just splashes the spicy ingredient into our glasses. For a fancy restaurant there was nothing fancy or delicious about this place.
Restaurantji Recommends
Another 5 stars for our experience last night. From the moment we sat down at the bar the service was on point. Waters, chips, menus, drinks all within no time at all. The ambiance is great with the right amount of decor, candles, and music at the perfect volume. We ordered skinny Fortaleza Cadillac margaritas with Tahin rims. Excellent. We then decided to share the Tabla de Antojitos and a Cesar Salad. The appetizer plate was delicious with plenty of food for 2. Sweet potato taquitos, queso fundido, chicken tinga emapanadas, and a bacon wrapped jalapeno which was my favorite. The Cesar salad was chopped and had the most amazing croutons. Dressing was thick, creamy and very garlicy but tasted great. Another great experience at Casa Gabriela.
Love this place, great atmosphere, great happy hour! Our bartender Michael was great! Definitely coming back!
Visited Casa Gabriela last week, and I gotta say that I was expecting more. The decor is nice and the service was great. Unfortunately, I didn't get our waitress's name, but she was very nice and attentive. I ordered the smoky Pepino, and I really enjoyed it. For dinner, I ordered the Enchiladas Marisco Suiza, which looked delicious; however, it didn't taste as good as expected. It tasted too fishy for me. the sauce or crema tasted great, but i didn't feel that complimented the seafood. However, I did enjoy the beans, and I got to enjoy them with the complementary chips.
I visited this restaurant with friends to celebrate a birthday. Everyone raved about the food, and it was amazing. But I wanted to especially rave about the care and customer service of our server Jeremy. I am vegan (ugh, I know) and there were no strictly vegan options, but Jeremy helped me curate some cauliflower tacos that were delicious, even asking the chef to prepare a batch of the corn without cheese. Note to others: The guacamole (without cheese) and the refried beans, salsa and veggies are all vegan.
It was first time at this restaurant and I will not be back. I ordered off of the restaurant week menu and it was very disappointing. The ceviche was a little bowl of cucumbers with two tiny pieces of fish. My corn lasagna was cold in the middle and bland. The tres leches was ok but had a lot going on. Overall, dinner was not good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2