Valentine's Mexican Food

California Burrito Rating in San Diego (31) I’m on a mission to find the best California burrito in San Diego. This is already the thirty‑first place I’m testing. Today’s stop: Valentine’s Mexican Food. Product: At first glance, their California burrito looks big. But in reality it’s just wide, with not much filling inside. This is the first burrito I’ve eaten quickly and almost didn’t feel full afterward. With a typical San Diego California burrito I can only finish half and I’m stuffed. Here the tortilla is tasty, there’s a lot of meat, potatoes, and black pepper. They also gave me chips. I didn’t see any house salsas. The price is noticeably higher than the city average. 03 out of 10. Service: The staff seem friendly and talkative. But when I ordered a mandarin Jarritos and asked if they had it, they told me yes. In fact they didn’t — they only had watermelon flavor. 01 out of 10. Atmosphere: Mexican music and artwork set the mood. The place is spacious, with comfortable seating. But your hands stick to the tables, like they weren’t wiped down properly. 05 out of 10.

My first time here and I 💕💕 it the food the salsa and the service was so good 👍👍 I recommend it...

We stopped in here for a quick taco a little before closing time. My carne asada taco came out quickly, hot and fresh. She even threw in a serving of tortilla chips for me. The steak was tender, abundant and topped with a little Guacamole. There was so much meat that it was falling out of the corn tortilla. I gobbled it up with my chips. Yummy!

The atmosphere is a cozy little restaurant with strong heritage in the decor. The food speaks for its self hands down. Got the pork rolled flour tortillas amazing. From the start the soft texture in the crunch almost buttery. And that is just the tortilla alone the seasoning of the meat and quality of ingredients makes it a repeat for me. Oh and the homemade salsa chips like double fried. Went well with the salsa.

The food is average, and in a prime location if you are downtown. They need some better hot sauce and some spice. The fish and shrimp tacos were okay. The huevos rancheros were okay. If you want something mild/bland its ok.

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.

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 🍀

The food is ok, nothing bad. Good service, people are nice. The only reason I never eat there for lunch is that is SUPER LOUD. Like, you feel like you are at a club with broken speakers. I sometimes even avoid the Thai restaurant next door because the thumping is so loud that we can't do a working lunch there. Not a good lunch place to go during work hours.

During a girls trip to SD, we forgot to make reservations for Sunday breakfast, and after walking several blocks and not finding availability, we wound up here. Cute small place, staff was very attentive, and our food choices were good ones. Seating inside and out...it was a perfect day for patio seating. Would recommend you checking it out for a quick bite.

If you're just hungry and want the most food for your money--and don't mind sacrificing quality--this is your spot. I ordered the Christian fries with carne asada for about $18. The portion was huge (easily enough for four meals), but the meat was really dry and lacked flavor. The bacon helped save it a bit, and the runny egg was a nice touch. The guacamole tasted cheap and definitely not homemade. Overall: 5/10. I also tried the adobada taco for $7, and it was a big disappointment--super bland. 4/10. All in all, I'd only recommend this place if you're after cheap eats and large portions. The quality just isn't there. Service was fine. There's a drive-through, no indoor seating, and only some outdoor tables. Definitely more of a grab-and-go type of spot.

My coworkers and I stopped by Valentine's Mexican Food for lunch. It was a taqueria style restaurant, so you can expect no frills, affordable food, and a great selection of your favorites. The place was popping by the time we got to the restaurant around 12:30pm. There was a queue that was almost to the door. There was a small team - one cashier and 2 cooks - running the show. That being said, the ordering line went by pretty quickly and food came out in a timely manner as well. I ordered a chile relleno a la carte and asked for a side of chips. Cheapest lunch ever at $7.30, and I actually felt full like I was bursting from the seams. The anaheim pepper was huge, and it was loaded with cheese. They fry it with scrambled eggs instead of the egg batter, which I'm used to having. Loved the flavorful rojo sauce. It also came with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream, which was honestly more food than I expected. Valentine's chips were the real deal. You can tell that they're made in-house by the thickness of the chips, the golden color of the fry, and oversized triangle cut. These are the types of chips you want with chilaquiles. Can't wait to come back to try their birria and nachos.

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.

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

Their Quesabirria tacos were so good! Full of flavor! I been twice so far and both times I loved what I've ordered. I'll keep going for sure. I also love the fresh tortillas for the tacos. Front pos guy and lady was friendly. They have a cute seating area and the seats are comfortable. liked the Frida painting, pretty! Not far from our downtown apartment so I'll be coming back and trying new items.

Quick service and great burritos. I'll be back more often. The chorizo breakfast burrito was flavorful. The machaca burrito seamed like it needed seasoning

Bomb.com 10/10 service! Portions are great!! Love the Frida decor My friend had the chicken flautas and I had the carne asada torta. The torta was amazing! The carne asada is perfectly seasoned!

I was shocked by how delicious it was I got a Cheeto burrito expecting a disgusting meal but this was one of the best burritos ever

First of all, the customer service is impeccable at this establishment. Literally like going to your grandmas house and getting served dinner. The California burrito, Carne asada fries, & so much more goodies. Also don't even get me started on the horchata, yall.. no words I promise once you taste it, you'll be coming back over and over again. This is one of my fav spots in SD & I'm happy I found it. You won't be disappointed!!!

Definitely recommend tried the birria fries so juicy and soft the fries were crunchy so bomb.com the service was amazing this lady named Teresa served me she was really sweet and nice the scenery was really cute doors always open nice fresh air coming in

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.

Went here on a whim...It's been quite a few months since I last ate here. And am I glad I did! The cashier was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Decided to try the 'Kiki Burrito' cuz love me some shrimp and was told the KiKi sauce was supposed to be spicy. This was by FAR one of the VERY BEST FAT BURRITOS I've had in QUITE some time. I feel I rec'd my money's worth both in quality of taste AND size. Only ate 1/2 for breakfast. Looking forward to eating the rest for lunch. AND God willing, am going back later on this afternoon to buy one for my husband cuz as native San Diegans, LOVE us some good Mexican food. ;) HIGHLY recommend this item. And will be going back to try a few of the other items that caught my 'food' eye even tho am on a budget...lol

El lugar es como un pedacito de Mexico, las mesas, la decoración y sobretodo la comida. La comida sabe a casa y el servicio es muy bueno! 100 recomendado.

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!

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

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*

I went into this restaurant and ordered these amazing birria fries. The service was pretty quick considering they were serving my group of more than a dozen.

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

10/10 service was great food was also great amazing definitely recommend tried the California burrito delish

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.

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 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.

food was so bomb and the employees were so nice!! portions were great and the quality was amazing

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.

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.

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.

la semana pasada vine ah comer solo y ordené una torta cubana muy buena por cierto, me atendieron de la mejor manera y muy buen servicio

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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!

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.

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.

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

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.

I was referred to this place by some family from the area. I decided to get some grub to-go. It was at night and there were only 2 people dining-in. That's probably because the inside ambiance isn't much to enjoy. The customer service okay and friendly; they were patient in answering my inquiries to menu descriptions. The prices for the tacos were a tad but higher than most "fast-food" joints, but I figured that's because the food quality was better and it was. I ended up ordering a dozen tacos, with half being beef and the other chicken. I also ordered the 7 mares stew; which wasn't half bad, but I've had better from a Cuban spot. It was lacking substance and it was mostly broth. In addition, I ordered pollo asada fries; and these were excellent! All in all, it's a good Mexican spot in the area and worth a shot.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.