El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering

My Uber driver recommended El Indio, and I decided to listen. I'm so glad I did, this was the best meal I had during my trip to San Diego. The prices were good, food delicious and the staff was incredibly friendly! Definitely recommend.

We ate here our first night in San Diego. This place has been around since 1949. Order up at the counter and eat in or take it to go. They had a huge menu of authentic Mexican food. We were here at 6pm on a Tuesday night and the place was packed with locals. We ordered the shredded beef burrito, the San Diego burrito, carne asada street tacos and a kids taquito meal. The portions were humongous and delicious. We definitely loved everything and highly recommend El Indio.

It's easy to see why this place has been around for years. The experience and years show through in each bite. Excellent take out offerings. Wonderful order taker she was happy to be there and explained the menu at length with patience and a smile, during a busy lunch hour. They even have delicious margaritas.

Stop in to this historic Mexican restaurant and try their amazing tacos and taquitos. Their tortillas are unique because they are nice and fluffy. They started as a tortilla factory in 1940. During WW2, they invented the taquito for factory workers who needed ready to eat items. Don't forget to view the historic photos on the wall of this historic building. They have been at this location since 1947. Everything is affordable and delicious.

I am inlooove with this place. I have such a hard time finding good tamales, and they sure have the best ones. Service is quick, but they usually have a line, very busy spot, with parking across the street. Inside is not very big so we normally sit across the street.

I don’t know how this place has any 1 star reviews. By far without a doubt the best burrito I’ve had in my life. The burritos are made with what tastes like a handmade wrap that doesn’t taste like any wraps I’ve had. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best burrito I’ve had in my life. This place is a must stop! The taquitos were also perfect too. If you’re flying into San Diego, this is the first place you should stop at when you arrive.

The chicken enchiladas were average. They taste like any take out fast food mexican restaurant. The chicken was not seasoned. There was a lot of chicken, that was the only plus. The red sauce didn't have much flavor. No salt on the beans and rice. Their chips had oil dripping from them. I added a street chicken taco and it was dry and plain. Their fish taco plate was okay.

This is our first DDD stop in SD. Although it has been a while since the original episode was aired, we were wondering if anything had changed since. One word, "phenomenal". We have had good Mexican north and south of the border, but I have to say this is by far the best home style Mexican we have tried. Tender meats full with flavor, soft tortilla stays soft even after it is cold, the same with the rice. There is no rice in their burritos, packed with fresh ingredients! We tried a few of their sauces red and green, they are on point. They don't hold back on the amount of meat either. If you are in town, you have to try it to know it. They have a customer parking but quite small. It is 8 mins from the airport so you can make a quick stop after or before. I will definitely come here the next time in SD.

My Uber driver recommended El Indio, and I decided to listen. I'm so glad I did, this was the best meal I had during my trip to San Diego. The prices were good, food delicious and the staff was incredibly friendly! Definitely recommend.

We ate here our first night in San Diego. This place has been around since 1949. Order up at the counter and eat in or take it to go. They had a huge menu of authentic Mexican food. We were here at 6pm on a Tuesday night and the place was packed with locals. We ordered the shredded beef burrito, the San Diego burrito, carne asada street tacos and a kids taquito meal. The portions were humongous and delicious. We definitely loved everything and highly recommend El Indio.

It's easy to see why this place has been around for years. The experience and years show through in each bite. Excellent take out offerings. Wonderful order taker she was happy to be there and explained the menu at length with patience and a smile, during a busy lunch hour. They even have delicious margaritas.

Stop in to this historic Mexican restaurant and try their amazing tacos and taquitos. Their tortillas are unique because they are nice and fluffy. They started as a tortilla factory in 1940. During WW2, they invented the taquito for factory workers who needed ready to eat items. Don't forget to view the historic photos on the wall of this historic building. They have been at this location since 1947. Everything is affordable and delicious.

I am inlooove with this place. I have such a hard time finding good tamales, and they sure have the best ones. Service is quick, but they usually have a line, very busy spot, with parking across the street. Inside is not very big so we normally sit across the street.

I don’t know how this place has any 1 star reviews. By far without a doubt the best burrito I’ve had in my life. The burritos are made with what tastes like a handmade wrap that doesn’t taste like any wraps I’ve had. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best burrito I’ve had in my life. This place is a must stop! The taquitos were also perfect too. If you’re flying into San Diego, this is the first place you should stop at when you arrive.

The chicken enchiladas were average. They taste like any take out fast food mexican restaurant. The chicken was not seasoned. There was a lot of chicken, that was the only plus. The red sauce didn't have much flavor. No salt on the beans and rice. Their chips had oil dripping from them. I added a street chicken taco and it was dry and plain. Their fish taco plate was okay.

This is our first DDD stop in SD. Although it has been a while since the original episode was aired, we were wondering if anything had changed since. One word, "phenomenal". We have had good Mexican north and south of the border, but I have to say this is by far the best home style Mexican we have tried. Tender meats full with flavor, soft tortilla stays soft even after it is cold, the same with the rice. There is no rice in their burritos, packed with fresh ingredients! We tried a few of their sauces red and green, they are on point. They don't hold back on the amount of meat either. If you are in town, you have to try it to know it. They have a customer parking but quite small. It is 8 mins from the airport so you can make a quick stop after or before. I will definitely come here the next time in SD.

Gawd I love this place. Reminds me of the old school Mexican restaurants I had growing up in Phoenix, AZ. While they don't have a cheese crispy, their burrito style quesadillas are unique and delicious af. Service is prompt and friendly. Plus if they make a mistake they own and correct it. Love them for this. They also sell their house made tortillas which are perfect for burritos, enchiladas, etc. if you've never been El Indio is definitely an old school place to try.

The food is fair. Service is good. Inside is nice and clean. They have indoor and outdoor seating. This place has been around about 70 years and the shop gets packed! Lol They got a lot of hype behind them . Maybe because the take credit for being the originators of the "Taquito" I tried some and they were pretty good. Also tried a few tacos and a mini burrito. All in all, I would return just because the prices are pretty good for the amount of food you get. Not because Guy Fieri says so!! Lol Its worth trying for yourself!

El Indio is Spanish for The Indian. El Indio is on India St in midtown Mission Hills restaurant row. Has been open since 1940's as a tortilla factory and later morphed into a famous Mexican food restaurant made even more famous when featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives. A dedicated parking lot across the street offers free parking. Next to the parking lot is the outdoor patio seating with umbrellas and blooming bougainvillea. The restaurant is casual. Upon entry, you order at the counter with the menu board on the wall, pay and your name is called to pick up your food and find seating indoor or outdoor. There's a self serve salsa bar and self serve soft drink station. The interior is not fancy, looked dated and the tables and seating area desperately needed cleaning. The staff were helpful, nice but needed to follow up on maintaining the restaurant's tabletops, floors and overall cleanliness, they need to clean up immediately after diners finished so new diners will not be turned off by the presence of dirty debris. The outdoor patio area was cleaner, but the freeway is kind of close. When our order was called to pick up the food from the counter, everything was in plastic plates with plastic utensils, which further decreased my dining indoor experience. Ordered flautas, which are similar to taquitos but instead flour tortillas are used, filled with sautéed shredded chicken and topped with salsa, sour cream and shredded lettuce. This dish was tasty, but if I had to order again, I would prefer to order without the salsa on top, because it made the would have been crispy flautas soggy. The Chile relleno plate included rice, beans and shredded lettuce and olives for garnish. The actual chile relleno had the right flavors but it was as fluffy as I prefer. Rice and beans were ok not great. Next time I would order the chile relleno a la carte, sans rice & beans. The agua fresca of Horchata, a rice water based drink with vanilla and cinnamon was refreshing. The food was good not great and has the potential to be great, but having been around since the 1940's perhaps Change is not imminent and leaving things as they are as this restaurant would qualify as a landmark 'Dive' that's a worthwhile try, when you're in the area on India, stop inside at El Indio! Recommend

Food has gone downhill unfortunately. Under seasoned and the worst "guacamole" this Latina has been served; runny, no visible avocado just gross. Maybe just appealing to tourists now and not locals who know good authentic mexican food.

El Indio is definitely a go to, but their food has underwhelmed me last couple of times. The adobada street tacos were incredibly greasy today and loaded with a lot of pieces of fat. The chicken chimichanga plate was tasty although the beans were pretty dry and their new plates they are using are incredibly flimsy. I still do love the mom & pop feel to the location and their chips are always spot on.

This review is strictly for the tamales. The tamales are pretty good here I usually get the chicken which I really like. I typically get the plate with rice and beans as well which is a good combination. The tamales themselves are pretty decent with a fair amount of filling and less masa. To be honest the rest of the food here is pretty tex mex. But I usually just order the tamales. The service is pretty good there can be a line from time to time they usually goes quick because there are several registers to order from. The seating on the side of the building where it is shaded has a pretty nice ambiance as well. There's also seating across the street.

All the good staff is gone except the manager and Rosa. I have been coming here for the past 30 years and for the first time the potato tacos don't taste good. When we call in a large phone order to go, the manager has a big problem in giving us extra sauce, cheese or for example doesn't give us a container to put the tostadas to go. Hopefully the manager chills down and get the quality of the taste up! Please work on the food to make it as good as before!!

My friend and I came here for lunch. Service is super quick. They have plenty of tables inside and out. I eventually decided to get the beef enchilada & tamale combo plate. I personally preferred the enchilada. The tamale is super thick and super filling. This plate in general is super loaded! So much meat, rice, beans. They have really good portions that will keep you full for hours. We were both so bloated after our meal. I enjoyed their chips - super crunchy. I also love their salsa bar. They have excellent spicy salsa and jalapeños. As someone who loves spice, I kept going back for refills. These sauces and toppings made the meal even more flavorful.

El Indio has been around for decades. We haven't been here in ages and decided to give it a go for old times' sake. They do have their own parking lot plus plenty of street parking. Their parking lot does fill up quickly especially around lunch time. Customer service is quick and efficient. They have a self-serve salsa station which is nice. The bar offers hot/mild red salsa, green salsa, roasted peppers, and sliced jalapeños. We decided to try new items instead of getting the norms we have gotten in the past. We ordered: Carne asada torta - good Fish burrito - not a fan Surf & turf burrito - good Unfortunately, nothing we ordered had a WOW Factor. Torta was just good as well as the surf & turf burrito. Surf & turf burrito had veggies that came on the side which was a bit different. What was disappointing was the fish burrito. There was not enough fish in the burrito to start! You take your first 3 bites and you'd barely get a taste of the breading of the fish, not actually the fish! You will get a mouth full of sauces and veggies but not fish. Until you get to midpoint of the burrito do you finally get to taste some fish. I had higher expectations of El Indio being they have been around for ages and is a well-known establishment. Sadly, we've had much better elsewhere.

I have been coming to El Indio since I was a kid so seeing that I haven't written a review was quite surprising. It is a staple in San Diego. Located right off the 5 and Washington Street, there is a dedicated parking lot kitty corner from the restaurant. There is also street parking. I have seen the line out the door and down the street but on my most recent visit I was lucky and was the only person in line. I was happy to see that one of my favorite items was still on the menu. The mordiditas - rolled taquitos and nacho cheese. The combination sounds strange but it works. I couldn't settle on chicken or beef taquitos so I got them mixed. Just as I remember it - yummy. I ordered that for my dinner. I needed something for lunch the next day. I was assisted by Alan. He was a super helpful in narrowing down what to order. I got a combination # 6 - chicken enchilada and beef tamale with rice and beans. And I couldn't go home without the chips! Those are the main attraction. Super crispy tortilla chips with lots of paprika. You must try them. I got a small bag so they only last three days before they were gone. There is a large interior dining area as well as an outside patio across the street. The key is visiting here is during off hours when you don't have to wait in long lines and fight for a table.

Can't say enough of this place! Food never disappoints. Great service over all and ambiance! Highly recommended any day!

Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 We were meeting an out of town friend for dinner and she was wanting their vegetarian burrito. When she suggested the restaurant, I immediately thought it was going to be crowded and parking was going to be impossible to find. Fortunately, our Friday night turned out to be awesome! Plenty of parking was found in their private lot across the street. The restaurant itself was also surprisingly not crowded, so we got inside seating and got our food quickly. I had the chicken flautas combo which really hit the spot. Also at the table were the vegetarian burrito and the tamale/enchilada combo. The restaurant is super casual, as expected for a typical taco shop. We loved the chips so much that we bought a bag and some salsa to take home. It was too cold to sit outside, but there were a few tables for when it gets warmer. We'll definitely be back... gotta try the flan!

El Indio is a solid spot in San Diego. Located at the foot of Mission Hills, it's a little piece of history in this area surrounded by some other local favorites like Lucha Libre, Shakespeares and Blue Water. El Indio has all the classic Mexican dishes you'd find at a taco shop. Their chips are usually the star of the show! I don't know that I'd go out of my way to come here, but there's some nostalgia with this spot that brings me back, especially when out of town visitors come by. Parking can be a little tricky since it's so limited in the area.

El Indio....Our getaway from Palm Springs, CA. Every trip with family and friends when we visit San Diego ....includes a stop here for lunch or dinner! Food is awesome! A Must for Mexican Food and a local hot spot!

I left a review here years ago and the food quality definitely use to be better. The last few times I've ordered carne asada burritos the food has been extremely greasy. Just feels like I'm eating an oily burrito with meat on the side. Pretty unhealthy if you ask me. Make cleaner food and maybe I'll consider coming back. Got the worst stomach ache after eating here last.

Probably my favorite Mexican restaurant. Every time I come here the food service and ambiance is incredible. Only thing I would like is more chips with the meals.

Growing up in San Diego, the El Indio shop is an institution. Great food, no matter what you order. Very authentic and tasty. I no longer live in San Diego do don't get there often. I recently got to drop in for my birthday to grab a few bags of chips. Haven't had their tortilla chips in a very long time but the are still the best anywhere. Made from their Masa and house made tortillas, they are seasoned perfectly. Don't forget to buy a couple bags of chips to go!!!!

First and last time ordering from there. Stay away from the Carne Asada Tacos. "NAUGHTY ". Never again!

Friendly staff and I have much respect for the history of this restaurant, but the food is very underwhelming. I tried the taquitos, because you really need to say you have, but there isn't anything that sets them apart. And the "world famous" chips are, sadly, not very good. But I am happy to have checked it off my tourist list. Decor-wise the most interesting thing was the poster of Guy Fieri featuring the restaurant on his show.

Wow, has our perception changed. What once was 'the' Mexican restaurant to visit and get your Mexican on, turns out to be nothing more than an iconic and historic landmark . . . nothing else. It's just not as good as we had once believed. Food was ok with nothing from our chili relleno, beef taco or the bean tostada that would make us ever return. Nothing special here. Everything was just ok Mexican. Even their notorious chips were nothing more than "the lords chips" (Nacho Libre, 2006) that we get from our local Mexican market or even Albertsons or the local Vons. Salsas and such from the salsa bar were just ok. Service was fine and attentive, but the atmosphere seemed to be more nostalgic in every imaginable way. Prices were fair and in line with any other Mexican take out in San Diego. There is a decent sized free parking area across the street, so don't immediately search for a street spot with meter. What once was a place for a date, is no longer something to look forward to. Dicks

Been coming here for years and I love this please. Recommend going in over ordering takeaway because it's not the same for some reason! The outdoor seating areas are great for a quick meal and you can usually find parking not too far. Everything is authentic and made from scratch daily. Love the chips all the salsas, the fruit burritos etc. I usually go basic with the taco enchilada combo and it always hits the spot. No alcohol served here.

This place is Heaven on earth. My parents have been going here for 20+ years and it has become our family tradition everytime on the way in/out of the airport. If you order ahead, make sure to call in your order so they get the full pay and it doesn't go to a delivery app! The service is outstanding and they get your food out quick. Casual, typical Mexican spot. The beef tacos are unreal. So crispy. Definitely add sour cream. Bury me in all of their salsas - especially the green. Need to also order the chips with their special salts and seasonings on them. Literally the only bad thing I have to say about this place is that they only have Pepsi products and not Coca Cola, but I'll survive

I am inlooove with this place. I have such a hard time finding good tamales, and they sure have the best ones. Service is quick, but they usually have a line, very busy spot, with parking across the street. Inside is not very big so we normally sit across the street.

My go to favorite for Mexican in San Diego. Consistently excellent. Carne Asada quesadilla and Carnitas Taco were fabulous.

This is upscale hole in the wall Mexican food which is my wife's favorite. It's a Mexican diner that Guy Fieri has visited. El Indio has amazing crispy carne asada fries. The hard shell tacos are authentic and the salsa bar is delicious. You can sit outside or in and they have gender neutral bathrooms that don't require a key or code. They have a parking lot which is great because it is a very busy area. Will definitely be coming back!

Love the breakfast burrito with bacon and the chicken enchiladas. Order this every time and if never disappoints.

This place is a little gem in San Diego! We were vacationing in SD and whenever we are down this way, I always stop in. Everything on the menu is always on point; my hubby is dairy-free and they were very accommodating...all we had to do was ask! Had combo plate #18 with a tamale and a crunchy taco--DELICIOUS, and we couldn't leave without a bag of buñuelos as a sweet treat. You can't go wrong with this place!

Service was great but the food has gone downhill. Ordered the carne asada street tacos. The meat was dry and chewy like beef jerky. The carne asada fries were more of the same. I ve had much better at taco trucks throughout California. It is too bad that this historic restaurant has gone downhill. I remember lines out the door. Not anymore I gave it two stars for the service.

Surely a "joya" in San Diego!!! An iconic Mexican restaurant that makes its own tortillas has the making of an enjoyable eating experience. I remember coming to San Diego in the '80s and straight from airport this would be my first stop. Great selections to choose from and very generous portions as well. The prices are very reasonable. Very friendly service at the counter. You can sense a good vibe with the employees. Lots of tables and chairs inside, however, love the outdoor patio where you can enjoy the beautiful weather that San Diego is known for. And ample free parking. In the fall, look for the rise of the pumpkin burrito. And there's lots of sides you can take home as well.

I've been going here for well over 50 years. Taquitos are the best. Love the Buñuelos. This is my best friend's favorite restaurant so we stop after picking her up from the airport each time.

Outside seating, free parking lot, dog friendly. The patio across the street is great.

Place is not so good and going downhill. We ordered our usual -- bean tostada, cheese enchiladas, bean and cheese burrito, and bag of chips. Food was rather bland...not enough salt for sure...and even the chips which are usually great lacked salt and were not oily whatsoever. I agree with other yelpers who said "food lacks flavor." We got something new--flautas and taquitos--beef. Both came in an order of 3 each. (It's almost same price if not cheaper for two a la carte orders instead of combo plate which comes with rice and beans). You get sour cream, guac, lettuce, cheese on top -- all of which was generous and made it more filling. So while I expected flautas to be on the softer side b/c they are rolled flour tortillas deep fried, I did not expect the taquitos--rolled corn tortillas to be soggy. They needed to be fried longer so the shell is crispy and crunchy. I would have preferred longer for my meal. So we were disappointed in our meal. The positive parts are that El Indio has its own parking lot (odd shaped triangle); the ordering is pretty fast even though it's a single line; salsa is still decent; and the food comes out in reasonable amount of time.

The Real Deal! I've been coming here for over 20 years and it's good. They make fresh tortillas on site as well as fresh salsas, spicy carrots, roasted jalapeños, and chips. Food is all of good quality. Try the tamales. Fish tacos are also very good. They've been in the same location since the 1940's. This place has character and charm. And you get a lot for your dollar.

The food was delicious! Great old school . Crispy shredded beef tacos, chile relano, enchiladas, soft tacos were all great plus the rice and beans!

We ordered it to go. They forgot 2 of our tacos but were adamant they put them in there. The cheese enchiladas were ok, not the best I've ever had; some of the onion chunks were way too big. The fresh chips and salsa weee really good we got the "hot" it was more medium but still good. The potato taco was meh mostly lettuce, the shredded beef taco was ok but again mostly lettuce. Can't rate the chicken tacos because they didn't give them to us lol the fish tacos were on point and def recommend those.

Came in cause we were recommended this place and I love Mexican food. This place had a delicious Chile Relleno plate which I would get again and a great salas bar with a good variety to choose from to have with chips and the food. One thing I was disappointed in was the taco. I love tacos but this place just had regular big tacos that I don't like I'm more into street tacos. I tried the taco to see how it tasted and it was ok but not as good as the chile relleno. Overall I'd go back if I was in the area again to try other options too.

First time here. Ordered a California burrito. Added guac and sour cream to it as well. Extra charge for them. It was pretty decent. I would get it again. It didn't make me full surprisingly as to I almost ate the whole thing. The ambience was pretty cute. I had no idea this restaurant was part of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. So more people came in after 6pm and it was a little busy. Other than that, I would come again and try something different.

Delicious, home style Mexican food. Right off the freeway and a huge parking lot. Fast and friendly, lots of outdoor seating and dog friendly patios. Prices were reasonable, we left full and happy!

This is the 1st time Diners, Drive-ins and Dives has let us down, we ordered the Deluxe Nachos with carne asada, cheese quesadillas and fresh tortillas. The food was okay, the carne asada was cold, the chips were overcooked, the quesadillas had too much cheese, we lost our appetite when a fly landed on our food. The fresh tortillas are good. It could be just what we ordered but not impressed.

OMG you gotta be kidding me! Moved to SD from LaLa Land and I'm super pumped about finding this gem! I'm forever in love.

We got nachos and they were terrible. They microwaved the food, which is fine for speed. But none of the cheese made it to the chips and it was a solid mess attached to the bottom of the plate. Apparently the secret, according to a friend, is to ask for creamy cheese, which isn't an option on the menu so unless you already know this, you're going to end up with cardboard cheese.

Happy hour and again the best customer service and most delicious food especially the taquitos. They have a special with a drink on Wednesdays

So I get this place has some history behind it and all that but I wasn't super impressed. Nothing special about the location and ambiance. It was clean and your typical hole in the wall restaurant. The food was mediocre? I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again but I also wouldn't shy away if I happened to be in the area. Prices were reasonable and the service was quick.

Can I give negative stars? The food is so horrendous. Just HORRENDOUS. I threw it all out. The meats are like boiled and without any taste. The service is awful. The tortilla chips greasy. As far from authentic Mexican as it gets. I mean, how do you mess up Mexican food. ALL horrible. HORRIBLE LA "COMIDA" POR DIOS. Que scam. Too expensive. Like throwing money in the trash.

First time, food was okay. not what they were advertised. second time, we've got stomach problems. so i don't think i'll go back.

Very good food ! Worth the money ! My husband and I are foodies and tried several Mexican local restaurants on our stay in San Diego . This was by far the best . Thank you el Indio ! We will be back !

A legendary restaurant since 1940 where the first taquitos were served. You must try the shredded beef taquitos. All menu items are pretty good but not great. Fast and personable counter service in a very casual setting. Parking can be difficult and the seating outside is noisy from the proximity to Hwy 5.

We had food catered from El Indio for a celebration and everything was perfectly delicious. Highly recommend. We had fresh made tortillas, carne asada, Al pastor and pork carnitas and all meats came with containers of traditional toppings the roasted salsa was my favorite and possibly "hotter" than their "hot" salsa. You can order fresh made tortilla chips (which are warm and amazing) but I thought they were a bit pricey and I was serving 40 people so ended up with store bought chips. Also, this place offers chafing dishes to rent as well as full set up and take down but I have my own so did it myself and all worked well. I did pay a $50 delivery fee but was well worth every penny to stay present for our party. All in all, a must visit authentic place.

Old Reliable when i come back to my hometown. The food is great along with the chips and sides. Enjoy the scenery and weather sitting outside with friends and family.