Valentine's Mexican Food

AMAZING birria and fish tacos. My husband really enjoyed his enchiladas too. Unassuming, authentic food at a family-run place - order at the counter, cash only.

The best Mexican food I have had outside of Mexico. It is a small downtown spot perfect for lunch. Great downtown atmosphere with outside seating available. The food was perfect. The salsa is wonderful flavor and just hot enough to make you stop and rest every 3 or 4 chips. If you are in Downtown San Diego you must stop in.

Was eating an egg bacon and potato burrito and there were eggs in the burrito at least 2 times didn’t finish (probably a lot more) would not recommend them for breakfast

This is a small place in the downtown area. The food was good, but when you go to a restaurant (at least me), you expect a little more. First of all, there are no restrooms. The lady taking the order was a little rude and inattentive. We stood there while she chatted with the kitchen staff. We asked for coffee, and she gave us half full cups. She said it was a medium coffee in a large cup. There are no real plates or silverware, and if you are lucky, you get one paper napkin. Again, the food was good, but everything else, not so much. I ordered the menudo, and it was tasty but little substance. More broth than meat or hominy.

Hot cheeto burrito exceeded expectations. Heavy, but not too heavy. Surprisingly flavorful and complex. Not a gimmick. Warm w perfectly toasted wrap. Big. Free chips. Nice people. Get on in here!

I’ve been going here for years. This place has really changed to the downside in many ways and is a shadow of its former self. This was a happening place with a beer license. I recently ordered an Al Pastor Burrito, it was terrible and had no taste. I suggest the owner and manager walk around the corner where they actually have a line to place an order. Get the same item, and taste 👅 the same burrito 🌯 at that “you know who” restaurant and check out their salsa bar. I will not be back📢Good luck 🍀

This place is a must stop if your looking for authentic tasting Mexican food. I ordered the machaca plate and everything from the flavor to to the tenderness of the meat was perfect. I also like that it was walking distance from our hotel and that you have the option of indoor or outdoor seating that is shaded.

Was much better years ago when located on Market Street, place was much larger and atmosphere was superior. More expensive now with smaller portions. Overpriced can of soda, they used to have fountain drink free refills. Counter lady was a little rude and inattentive like a previous reviewer said. I get it, rent is more expensive everywhere so restaurants charge more now. Lackluster experience. I won't be coming back.

AMAZING birria and fish tacos. My husband really enjoyed his enchiladas too. Unassuming, authentic food at a family-run place - order at the counter, cash only.

The best Mexican food I have had outside of Mexico. It is a small downtown spot perfect for lunch. Great downtown atmosphere with outside seating available. The food was perfect. The salsa is wonderful flavor and just hot enough to make you stop and rest every 3 or 4 chips. If you are in Downtown San Diego you must stop in.

Was eating an egg bacon and potato burrito and there were eggs in the burrito at least 2 times didn’t finish (probably a lot more) would not recommend them for breakfast

This is a small place in the downtown area. The food was good, but when you go to a restaurant (at least me), you expect a little more. First of all, there are no restrooms. The lady taking the order was a little rude and inattentive. We stood there while she chatted with the kitchen staff. We asked for coffee, and she gave us half full cups. She said it was a medium coffee in a large cup. There are no real plates or silverware, and if you are lucky, you get one paper napkin. Again, the food was good, but everything else, not so much. I ordered the menudo, and it was tasty but little substance. More broth than meat or hominy.

Hot cheeto burrito exceeded expectations. Heavy, but not too heavy. Surprisingly flavorful and complex. Not a gimmick. Warm w perfectly toasted wrap. Big. Free chips. Nice people. Get on in here!

I’ve been going here for years. This place has really changed to the downside in many ways and is a shadow of its former self. This was a happening place with a beer license. I recently ordered an Al Pastor Burrito, it was terrible and had no taste. I suggest the owner and manager walk around the corner where they actually have a line to place an order. Get the same item, and taste 👅 the same burrito 🌯 at that “you know who” restaurant and check out their salsa bar. I will not be back📢Good luck 🍀

This place is a must stop if your looking for authentic tasting Mexican food. I ordered the machaca plate and everything from the flavor to to the tenderness of the meat was perfect. I also like that it was walking distance from our hotel and that you have the option of indoor or outdoor seating that is shaded.

Was much better years ago when located on Market Street, place was much larger and atmosphere was superior. More expensive now with smaller portions. Overpriced can of soda, they used to have fountain drink free refills. Counter lady was a little rude and inattentive like a previous reviewer said. I get it, rent is more expensive everywhere so restaurants charge more now. Lackluster experience. I won't be coming back.

Delicious food, fast & friendly service, indoor or outdoor seating. $15 for a big container of Birria ramen, & some chips is worth it.

I always enjoy to come here on my break when I'm craving some Mexican food! So far I've tried the chile verde burrito and the California bowl. It's always been super fresh and delicious. They have plenty of options on the menu !The service is great super friendly employees & helpful with recommendations. You can definitely see the culture inside with all the decor also plenty of seating.

Food is ok overall but nothing spectacular. It's a good distance from many offices. The staff were ok overall, I've been a few times and their service has been a little below average I'd say. Ordering for pickup from them over the phone was very difficult, I was naming an item posted in their menu that they said they didn't have. When I went to pickup my changed order, that item was in fact on the menu

Valentine's has a big menu and big portions. Not my favorite place to eat in house but the carry out and delivery is great. The sour crème guacamole is the best. Tacos and burritos are really good.

Very good authentic food at reasonable prices. We were looking for lunch close to our hotel. Sat on pation people watching.

I live walking distance from this place and I have gone here over 10 tims! It is the best quick Mexican food in gaslamp!! It's no frills, just authentic, delicious Mexican food that hits the spot every time! It is family owned and they go above and beyond every time I go in. Ps: If you are struggling on a Saturday morning after a night out downtown, try the California burrito it's *chefs kiss*

Valentines not only has delicious Mexican food they also have a huge menu. I ordered the chicken chimichanga. It was so crispy and full of chicken just like I like it. I've had other chimichangas that for some reason fail to be crispy but not here. Good also comes with a side of free house made tortilla chips. They have a good variety of salsas too. Not just red/green but a few others in between. The customer service is friendly. You walk up to place your order, take a number, then they deliver to your table. They have indoor and outdoor dining areas. I will note they have a pretty big vegetarian menu too. I will be back to try some of those next!

SMALLEST California Breakfast Burritos on the planet and they have the balls to charge $26. You can get one steak breakfast burritos from Roxy's or The Taco Stand and it would still be bigger than 2 at this place ... and it would cost you the same price (or leas at the taco stand) these guys charge. These are more like tacos than a burrito. Each one was about the size of a PB&J sandwich. Very disappointed. I'm certainly they only put 1 egg in the burrito. Fries fills up most of it.

This place is terrible! Portions are small for the price, service is bad, I waited for 5 minutes after placing my order (being the only order taken) when the cashier asked me what I had ordered and only just called it back to the kitchen. Food is mediocre at best. Don't waste your money on this dump. Go around the corner to The Taco Stand, they are 100 times superior. I wish I had never tried Valentine's.

Ordered a Cali burrito with no pico. Burrito was mostly tortilla which was kind of stiff and chewy. The burrito was also very small compared to other taco shops around town. The burrito had maybe one scoop of guac and was VERY dry when I ate it. Probably the worst California burrito I've ever had. Do better.

the best Mexican food I've ever had loved the chicken tacos!! Good prices and location too

This place deserves a better review than they have. Their food is good, the ambience is decent. They're honestly one of the better options downtown. I recommend their carne asada burrito.

Establishment no longer serves beer as indicated in one of the review photos here.... We wanted Mexican for dinner. The outside seating seemed promising that it would be a quality Mexican Dinner but it was Average. I guess we were expecting more...... but it's a simple Mexican Restaurant and not a fancy place to eat. Carne Asada Plate is not true Carne Asada. Steak was chopped up and not a whole steak as expected in most Carne Asada Plates I've had But my husband loved his Machaca and it was delicious. It's in the GasLamp district along with other eateries. 3 stars... It's a little bit above standard but did not impress.

Prices not listed anywhere nor are there menus anywhere. Second there is no notification of any extra charge for using a debit card. Finally and what makes this review so bad, after waiting for my order for ten minutes the cook comes out to the dining room and was not even aware he had an order pending. For the record the burrito itself was okay, neither good nor bad.

I really wish I could give this place a rating but I'm choosing 1 star simply because they DO NOT keep their hours updated online and I walked about 5 blocks up and down those San Diego hills just for them to be closed when I was misled to believe they were opened until 3am. I showed up around 1:30am on a Friday night. Wouldn't be that bad if I wasn't sold by them online just to not be open. Maybe, Just maybe next time.

The finest Mexican cuisine I've enjoyed beyond the borders of Mexico. Tucked away in downtown, it's an ideal spot for lunch, offering a fantastic urban atmosphere with the option of outdoor seating. The food was flawless. The salsa boasts a delightful flavor, with just enough heat to prompt a pause and savor every 3 or 4 chips. If you find yourself in Downtown San Diego, a visit is a must.

4.5 stars. Took the family for a pre padre meal and man we were blown away. Quick service and amazing tasting food. Highly recommend. We will be back for sure.

HIDDEN GEM!! If you are looking for authentic great Mexican food downtown LOOK NO MORE!! Jorge attended me and the recommendation he made made me left me wanting more. The #4 is MAGICAL! I will be coming back.

I love this restaurant--first when they were located on Market St & now on 6th. They continue to go above and beyond to make mole, which is used in the pollo con mole burritos I order. You should try one. You will be hooked. The staff is wonderful. It is my go-to place in downtown San Diego for Mexican food.

Unfortunately, the Valentine's Mexican food, used to be so good, is no longer a place in downtown to enjoy a great Mexican food. I used to go there for more then 10 years, the owners changed few times, which is probably normal, but the last time I placed an order on August 25, 2023, was the worst: terrible customer service, the older lady in glasses, never welcomed me, was on the phone all the time while taking the order, didn't give me a receipt, and the food was terrible, the worst Mexican food I have had in San Diego, absolutely tasteless, hard, shredded beef burrito and taco plate. Such a waste of money!

Since I was in San Diego for a work training and severely craving real Mexican food, I came here and ordered their al pastor fries! The line was pretty long for lunch time, but it went by pretty quickly. It's interesting because you order and then you sit down wherever you want, but with no number, you wonder how they give you your order. An employee literally walks around the restaurant and asks you if what they're holding is your food. Other than service, they also have an exceptional salsa and vegetables bar! The orange one was pretty good and the green one was pretty spicy! I nibbled on their marinated carrots and chips that they serve at the front of the cashier while I waited for my food. It was probably a 10 minute wait until I got my food and boy were the fries and meat delicious! I'll admit, it was too much for one person and I was really hungry! The fries were a little larger than I like them, but the al pastor was pretty well marinated. The salsas and condiments were pretty good together, especially the surprise pineapples! Cilantro was a new ingredient that I wasn't used to but it worked well with the fries. If I'm in the area again, I'd definitely try their soups!

I ordered the carne Asada burrito and it was decent. The meat was okay, but I feel that the burrito was very small for $8.25. They had a fresh salsa bar with a variety of choices! But no limes.. Dining area was clean and staff was very friendly, but food was average.

!!! NEW HOURS !!! Sunday: 8am - 4pm Monday to Thursday: 8am - 4pm Friday and Saturday: 8am - 9pm MENUDO every Friday & Saturday

Excellent services food was incredible. For sure coming back and recommending to friends and family.

I came here for a quick lunch at the recommendation of a friend, since it's right downtown and near the bus and trolly stop. It was pretty busy given it was late lunch hour, but my order was taken quickly. It took a bit of time for my food to come out but when it did, it was hot and ready. I ordered the cheese enchiladas a la cart, which came with a side of shredded lettuce and pico de gallo mixed in. The enchiladas were pretty large and just covered with sauce, which I was so happy to see. The cheese was melted perfectly and the sauce seasoned just right (not too spicy for me). There's great outdoor seating so if it's a nice day, grab a table outside and have some great Mexican food!

Pure, 100%, top grade, quality CACA. I had not been there in years. I ordered a caldo de rez - beef soup. The meat was like rubber so i set it aside and did not eat it. I ate the funny tasting soup, left the restaurant and threw up about 3 blocks later! I could not hold it anymore! The sold me very old soup but microwaved the hell out of it in order to make it appear that it was fresh off the burner.

Tiniest $12 burrito I've ever had, filled mostly with fries and barely any Carne. Sad because I work in downtown and was looking for a good taco shop close to work. I'd give it a one star but the salsa was good and the actual Carne Asada was decent.

Happy valentines day everyone. Valentines mexican food will be open from 8am to 2 pm valentines day Feb 14th 2021., Especially for Valentines day.

Be warned the advertised price is not what is charged, it seems there is an up charge for using a card. This is a hidden charge that is not displayed on any of their menu prices or verbally when paying.

Food was amazing and portions were huge. I would come back next time I come to SD. So good

Not open when they say there are very much a big waste of time. False advertising I'm sure the food matches the BS. very disappointed

We ate a meal here but they do not permit guests to use there bathroom. Food was not very good.

If you are looking for the most standard Mexican food in San Diego then look no further then Valentines. That isn't necessarily a negative thing considering there are plenty of sub par Mexican places around that can ruin a lunch/dinner or worse make you sick. On the other hand we do live in San Diego which is know for doing two cuisines very well; New American and Mexican. There isn't anything particularly special about this place. They have all the standard fare one could find at any taco shop. There specials are not even special. There is literally nothing on the menu that will surprise you. The food is similar; not awful but not memorable. It's filling, warm, affordable and sufficient for calories. The biggest issue is the lackluster salsa. It's not even hot or flavorful.

Why have a phone number listed if no one gonna answer? I been here before it can not be that busy that none is gonna answer the phone

The food here simply hits the spot. The Pollo, carne asada, and Carnitas all have great marinated flavors, juicy, and cooked just right. Their salsa's do work as well. every one of their house made salsa's are amazing. All the hipsters and tourists love Taco Shop a few stores down...that place doesn't hold a candle to Valentine's. Valentine's satisfies my cravings and never fails to deliver on great no frills Mexican food. Chicken Enchiladas, yes...does not disappoint one bit Burritos, yes...hearty and correctly containing even layers of each ingredient. Taco, warning...they're not "street" or "mini" tacos...they're a bit pricier because they're literally 2-3x bigger with filling. One order basically should be split into two well sized tacos. Perfect if you want a meal but not want to be stuffed. One taco here is all you need. Green/white sauce...same stuff as Lucha Libre, but more consistent Orange/White sauce...my favorite...just try it. it's GOOD Red salsa...great on rice, beans, and directly on meats You can't go wrong here...not coming here for good Mexican food is going wrong. Oh yes...and chips are free which you can't say about these modern chic psudo Mexican joints. Just ask and you shall receive.

Really great grilled chicken burritos, salsa bar, and prices. I only paid $5.50 for a huge chicken burrito as take out. Best downtown prices for Mexican food!

I usually need to order 3 tacos to get full. This place you probably only need 1.5 tacos~ because they're super BIG! The beef and chicken is yummy and the rice milk drink (hachata?!) is amazing!

This company rocks and is the best at their job. I enjoy going there for me and my daughter. You guys rock, and keep up the amazing work. I love this place, and so does my daughter. Also they actually clean their hands before making the food which I really love and appreciate. Most company's like to give customers a hard time cleaning their hands like Subway for instants, but Valentines really does an amazing job making sure the food is made correctly and is handled with clean hands, so my daughter and I don't get food poisoning. My daughter got food poisoning from other places so we don't go to those other places anymore. But this company we come to as much as possible. Keep up the good work at Valentines.

I cannot believe that bad Mexican food exists in SD! This place was pretty gross. It was because it was a fast food Mexican in the trendy gaslamp?! I ordered carne asada taco and ceviche on a Friday night about 10pm. Drunk munchies. Usually drunk munchies are good but this Mexican food didn't do justice. The carne asada meat tasted bland! There was nothing good going on. The ceviche was a big disappointment and please stay away from it. The cashier guy said it was fresh but I tasted everything but fresh. You know when you previously freeze fish and defrost it and it gets watery? Well that's what he fish tasted like and barely any of it. There were tons of onions instead of fish. I would not suggest this place for good Mexican drunk munchies. Take a cab and go to Los Panchos or somewhere decent.

This is a good example for the "How Many Stars?" class at Yelp University. I might not travel cross country for Valentine's but was very glad to find it down the hill from my hotel late at night. (3AM closing time Friday and Saturday nights.) The carne asada burrito was pretty good. Get the "wet" style burrito. The salsa was outstanding. I made a rookie mistake and didn't notice the self-serve chips on the right.

Our larger party of 21 people showed up and was accommodated on the spot! Almost everyone's order came out lightning fast and we left full and satisfied. Thank you!

Used to always be my favorite place for carne Asada burrito but damn whoever cooks there now changed recipe. It's not good at all they cook carne asada in a strange stewed tomatoes with carrots sauce. It's terrible no more juicy carne asada with fresh pico salsa and guacamole. Now a strange tasting cheap stew tomatoes carne I won't go back if it's like this again. Please help and let mr know why you would change.

I had pretty high hopes for this place after seeing the reviews and even after walking in. It had interesting decor and feel and the guy behind the counter was working his butt off both taking and delivering orders. When I decided what I wanted with his help, I ordered my choice of meat on a combo with a taco and enchilada. In paying for it, it seemed odd since the prices were around $8.50 for the combos but he charged me $10.50. He didn't give me a receipt so i didn't go back to ask...my fault there, but the actual food was just ok also.

Tried this place on a recommendation and I really like the food here. The staff isn't going to hug you or ask how your day is going, but the service is good and accommodating. As I write this, I'm craving their Surf n Turf burrito right now...gotta go!

They have good quality food. However, portion to price is lacking. Also if you use a credit card you are charged like another $1. Today, I ordered a Cali burrito for a little over $9 with credit card fee. My burrito tasted great but was like a mini small burrito.

I give this a 5 star for DOWNTOWN, because all the other Mexican food here is terrible!! The carne asada is the best and love that their salsa is actually HOT! Service is okay, lines get long at lunch but they move quick. Best to call it in :)

Best Carne Asada Burrito I've ever had. I also need a wheelbarrow home and a nap. Huuuuuuge and tasty. Good night.

This my first Time there, had to wait lots for my food, young girl at front needs customer service skills, very rude, I decide to cancel my order, will never go back and will tell my friends and family about it , facts

The go-to after club/events Mex food run... I have been here several times over the years, and they truly don't disappoint. Decided to grab some quick eats after watching a band and ordered the Cali burrito ($6). This def hit the spot!!!! The only thing that I wasn't aware of is that it didn't contain guac, so it left the burrito a little dry for my taste. Otherwise, love the food, the staff is friendly and the establishment is very well kept/maintained.