La Casa Blanca

Trick but NO Treat!
Went on Saturday for a margarita and some dinner. (It was a hot day, margarita sounded great) Based on a recent review we had the «Cadillac Margarita for 2». What a joke, the thing arrived with two straws (that you could not reach from the table, had to stand up to reach). I immediately noticed something was wrong, very strange flavor. This is NOT tequila. And they have the nerve to charge $ 24.99 for this fake «margarita» and to call it a Cadillac!!! (which means Grand Mariner). When I complained to the server she said she would talk to the Mgr.. She came back and said «unfortunately there is nothing we can do for you»!!! We had to pay 24.99 for some gross kind of WINE called a margarita. Will not be back due to lack of Manager response and the trick played on us. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is the food was OK.

What a treat! Hubby and I went for dinner the other night and WOW! We will for sure be back. We walked in and the place is super cute. You almost feel like you’re in someone’s home. We got the Cadillac margarita for 2, and by far one of the best margaritas I’ve ever tasted. The chips and salsa were also very good. They made fresh tortillas right there and they melt in your mouth. I had the carnitas which was very good, and hubby had the Puerto Nuevo style lobster which was AMAZING. We were too stuffed to eat dessert but got an order of churros to go. We went home, digested for an hour and then tried the churros. They had a delicious cream filling. The service was great, our server was very attentive. You have to try this place! Best Mexican food in San Diego!

I make it a point to eat here every time I visit San Diego, usually on my way to Anza Borrego State Park. Have always enjoyed it.

First time here for lunch. Reasonable prices and delicious food! Love the atmosphere and good service. We will definitely be back.

Been looking for a place to replace my beloved Casa Del Sol that closed recently. Chips and salsa were good, I asked for something spicy and the nice young man brought over another salsa that had a good kick and solid flavor but it wasnt enough to help the totally bland chicken enchiladas. It was all kind of… meh, but then the cute little older lady came over and just said «tortilla?» and placed a fresh made corn tortilla with some butter on my table… um, yes please! I’d come back to try something else, we’ll see…

Randomly found this place on groupon two years ago and decided to try it out. My husband and I ordered the Puerto Nuevo style lobsters, and let me tell you… They were amazing!!! The lobsters came with beans, rice and tortillas. Aside from that, they make the tortillas fresh on the spot, and they are so warm and soft (literally the best!!). After our initial visit, we had gone two other times and we still order the lobsters. And as usual, so good! Our most recent time being there I ordered a margarita, and it was DELICIOUS!!! Our waiter saw I flew through my drink and insisted I had another one, which then turned into 3 margaritas & I never drink that much out at dinner! So in all, if you want to try Puerto Nuevo style lobsters without having to go to rosarito (which I have been to, to compare), this is your place!

I just ordered chips and salsa to go because I was having a little party. The chips were fabulous they were warm they were not greasy and they were fresh. However the salsa is too tomatoey-​based and I ended up doctoring it up myself to have more flavor and a little bit of heat. I would go back to try the food but maybe sneak in my own salsa.

It’s a cute little (and I mean little) place. We came for my Aunts birthday dinner. The staff was very friendly and the food came out very fast. The only con I would have to say is out for the 6 of us that we’re there I was the only one who didn’t truly enjoy the food, I got the chicken enchiladas and they were very bland. It was terrible just lacking in flavor, everyone else enjoyed their food. Over all it was good place to have dinner just stay away from the chicken enchiladas.

I’ve ordered 3 things here. the carne asada salad (delish!)… the steak picado (mouthwatering)… and the carnivals (pretty good). A little pricier than some Mexican restaurants in the area but I will be back :)

«Makes You Feel Like You are in Mexico «
La Casa Blanca in La Mesa California, is a hidden gem ! This small restaurant which only seats about 40 people is set up inside to make you feel like you are visiting in Puerto Vallarta, or Mazatlan Mexico. From it’s Mexican tile floors, to the Red, White, and Green table clothes, this quaint restaurant has some of the best Authentic Mexican food we have ever tasted in the San Diego Area. And considering there is a Mexican restaurant on almost ever corner in San Diego, that’s saying something ! They have a wide menu from Carne Asada, to Fish, to Fajitas, etc., etc. Everything is in large portions and delicious. On weekends they have a woman hand making real tortillas in front of you and delivering them to your table. They are wonderful ! Try their Happy Hour Margaritas, with the best chips and salsa around. They are Awesome ! The servers also have a great attitude, and are so friendly. From Oscar, to Ceasar, to Lorena, to Herman, they all make you feel like family. If you want to feel what it is like in real Mexico while you are in the U.S., go to La Casa Blanca in La Mesa, for a real taste of Mexico !
They also have real home made Flan, Fried ice cream and other great desserts !

I’ll start by saying if you didn’t know this place was there you’d most likely drive by it. But, I received a Birthday Dinner coupon and thought I’d give them a try.
I loved it from the moment I walked up to it after parking and there clearly marked on a board at the entrance were their daily specials. Huumm? «Let’s see what’s on the menu» I said to my wife and with the traditional ambiance of décor and music playing — there were not too many open seats to choose from. We found a table we liked right next to where the drinks were made and it didn’t take me long to decide on a Pomegranate (large) Margarita.
From the menu, I ordered something I’d never had in all my travels down south, the STEAK PICADO & it was unbelievable good with the soft fresh made tortillas! It’s Steak that is cooked with chorizo! I’ll have to do more research on this dish but there was so much food that neither my wife nor myself could finish our complete meals. She had the Chili Verde Burrito plate and it was the size of the plate! Barely room for the beans and rice that came with it.
Our waitress, Lorena was very polite and on her game as we saw her handle a lot of tables thoroughly and all with a pleasant smile.
Although this «place» has been there for a long time, we found out it’s now got new owners (about 3 years now?) and we had a chance to meet one of them and he shared his story along with an invite to another restaurant he owns as well, Troy’s off of Mission Gorge Road.
We’ll be back for the Sunday Brunch here and make it a point to try his other place as well — very soon.

Well I eat a lot of Mexican food in San Diego, this is the best place to eat authentic Mexican food in San Diego county. Let the tourists eat at Seaport Village… take a drive to La Mesa and try some real quality food. Ask for the Diablo sauce if you want to burn baby…

Kudos to the promotions team at La Casa Blanca. We visited them last night, after receiving a comp birthday dinner invitation. First time in, and couldn’t have been more impressed.
Greeted warmly upon entry, even though it was :45 min til close. Promptly seated, presented with chips and their really good salsa and our drink order was taken, and served right away.
Traditional menu selections, prices are very reasonable ($ 11.95 for Carnitas) and a full bar.
Our hostess and server were really friendly, checked on us regularly and provided refills on beverages. I overheard our server creating a special order for the adjoining table, adding vegetable selection for guest who didn’t want many carbs.
The food for 2 (Carnitas and Chili Colorado Burrito combo) was really good. Well plated, great portion sizes, temp hot and not too spicy. I will totally order the Carnitas again, and he will try Chili Colorado as an entrée.
I rarely give 5stars, as it’s difficult to get it all perfect. But, La Casa Blanca did and we’ll be back very soon.

There aren’t many interesting, yet still authentic, Mexican restaurants of this quality in the San Diego area. This place has room for improvement, but they care about making the customer happy, and they do some things REALLY well.
Like the corn tortillas, for instance! I could fill up just on those — the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve had many trips around the sun, and many of those trips have included eating Mexican food! The tortillas are made fresh, not only every day, but often, as you eat, while you watch! Twice the thickness of the corn tortillas I’m used to and so delicious! Strange to rant about good corn tortillas, but, trust me — they’re worth it!
We also had:
Beef taco — very good!
Albondigas (meatball soup) — Just okay.
Chile Relleno — EXCELLENT! The Unilocal raves about it are spot on!
Cheese Enchilada — My husband says, «no so good — not much flavor.»
Guacamole — Really good — creamy and fresh avocados — just the way we like it!
Beans — Very good (that means they’re probably made with lard, but they’re delicious!)
Spanish Rice — Better than average — with tomatoes and other goodies in it.
Margaritas — They only serve beer and wine, and I missed the Tequila — just okay.
Flan — Delicious! With a wonderful, chocolate sauce — dense, yet creamy — the way I like it!
Carne Asada ($ 12.95) — Not good. I ordered it medium rare. It was a very thin piece of steak, and was so tough, I couldn’t even cut it with a steak knife, let alone eat it. I talked to the waiter about it, and he suggested I have them cook it more so it would be more tender. He said, «We want you to be happy,» which I appreciated. I got it cooked more, and it was a little «softer,» as he put it, but it now had no flavor, and was dry.
Okay, so I won’t order that again. But I would definitely come back!
FYI, They have «Puerto Nuevo-​style Lobster» for $ 35 (deep fried, comes with rice, beans and tortillas), and «make it yourself» tacos, where you can choose an array of proteins (for 2 – 3 people), which we may try sometime, and other interesting menu items which I want to try.

OhMgosh! I never have been to this restaurant before and I have been in east county forever! What a GEM! This is some of the best Mexican food in San Diego. I’m not kidding. This food is very authentic and I’m so happy it’s in east county. I will be back to this restaurant for more excellent food!

This place is really cute. The ambiance is cozy and the servers were friendly. Chips came out hot and the salsa was tasty. I came here with a coupon and had the beef chimichanga, while my husband had the combination plate. The sauce on the chimichanga had more veggies than I’m used to (onion and strips of pepper). There were also pieces of onion, etc. in the meat inside. The beef tasted good and was soft, but there were some chunks of fat and/​or gristle inside that I had to pick out which is always a big negative factor for me. The portions were large and we took stuff to go. The chile relleno was the highlight of the combination platter for us; the rest didn’t stand out especially. All in all, ok, but not worth going out of the way for if you don’t have a coupon or something to use up…

It pains me to write these kinds of reviews, but when it’s required, I need to remain sincere.
First, I stopped in for dinner, and after I ordered the two beef taco combo with rice and beans, I very politely informed the waiter that the menu needed to be clean given it had solid particles on it and a number of stains, but to my dismay, he took the menu from me, thank me for letting him know, and then simply returned the menu back into the slot with the rest of the menus, for another customer to use. I honestly thought he would take it back to the kitchen and immediately have it cleaned.
To make matters worse, when the two beef taco combo arrived, the shredded beef in the tacos was burned and dry. (
) I showed them to the waiter, and he agreed and took the plate to have a new one made. However, I decided to change my order, to the shredded chicken chimichanga, worried about the execution of the simple beef tacos. Hoping the chimichanga would be better, I was disappointed when I first cut it in half. The fried flour tortilla was soft and not crunchy and crispy the way a chimichanga should be. The flour tortilla was under fried and soft (
). Also, the chicken inside was a little dry, and lacked well developed flavors. Other than the small amount of salt and pepper, it just tasted like salt and peppered boiled chicken (
). They should simmer the chicken in a chili and tomato broth so that it acquires a good zesty flavor.
The re fried beans were just okay. They were a little bland and could of benefited from some more aggressive seasoning (
). The rice was the best thing on the plate. It had good tomato, herbs, and seasoned flavors and was loose and fluffy (
). The tortilla chips were okay, but the salsa that came with them needed a deeper flavor profile. It tasted mostly of tomato (
). More garlic, herbs, chilies, and seasoning would be great.
Service was pretty good, but I can not get over the lack of consideration to the dirty menu. Honestly, that was really disappointing. Therefore, when one asks me, yes I have had better, and I hope they are better on a regular basis, then what I experienced.

My wife and I came here on an Amazon discount, and we are so glad we didn’t pay full price. We had a 30 minute wait, and there were three tables (with tablecloths) outside in front of the restaurant and only one chair. People were sitting on the tables waiting.
The service was average (except for the margarita incident below), and the food was on a par with just about any other Mexican restaurant in San Diego County (i.e. Robertos, El Indio, Casa De Pico, etc). That is to say, nothing special at all. Except the handmade tortillas, which were pretty good.
A small margarita was ordered, and believe it or not, the server came back twice to verify this simple order: One small regular-​flavor margarita. He finally brought the margarita, and it was not worth the wait. It was simply lousy, having a chemical or medicinal aftertaste. They probably used a cheap mix and cheaper tequila. It was left unfinished.
This place is the noisiest restaurant I’ve ever dined in, not counting sports bars during a game.
The décor was medium to horrendous tacky, with several images of that «Stay thirsty, my friend» guy, and a even a cardboard cutout of him topped with a real sombrero. There were sombreros and sarapes placed randomly and Christmas-​style lights festooned all over the place. The accent lighting on the nearest wall strobed and flickered constantly when it wasn’t completely inoperative. The accent lights accentuated an electrical problem, ironically.
Folks, if you are considering having a nice dinner and some conversation with a companion, do not consider this place. If all you require is a good handmade tortilla, very average food, and don’t mind shouting to your dinner companion, go for it! Oh, and you only get one each of those great tortillas. Abuela keeps count, apparently.
We exited the restaurant and were immediately engulfed by the raucous din of nearby Freeway 8 traffic, cars, motorcycles and trucks laboring up to the Grossmont Summit. Get this: Outside was literally far quieter than inside the restaurant. We had to laugh as we walked back to the car. It was quite a surreal experience. It won’t be repeated. Sorry, Abuela.

ORALE! !! !!
Take it from this Unilocaler, that this little blanco, Mexicana mut with will vouch over and under for this amazing restaurant!
Any seasoned foodie knows never to judge by the curb appeal, and I promise the food will not disappoint! Not only are the flavors top quality, but the friendly, heart filled customer service is outstanding! Our waiter even had some good jokes!
My favorite part of our meal was that Abuela is making fresh handmade tortillas in the corner of the dining room and personally delivers them to your table, piping hot with butter! The bomb dot com.
The table near us ordered a massive margarita that looked so refreshing you just wanted to dive into it!
I’m so excited that we found this lil gem! Perfect little lunch spot ;)
Definitely take advantage of the Unilocal deal they offer!

Delenn: It occurs to me I have never walked the length of this place, end to end.
President John Sheridan: Well, Delenn, it’s 5 miles long.
Delenn: I Know. Coming?
President John Sheridan: Now?
Delenn: Now is all we have.
Babylon 5 — Objects in Motion
I noticed this place driving to other places. Romantic dinner with a beautiful woman lips soft as rose petals at Anthony’s Fish Grotto. A fishing trip to Lake Cuyamaca with an departed old friend who drank beer with Ansel Adams and taught me what I needed to know of photography. Sledding down a hillside in the Cuyamaca Mountains as snow was falling. Hires Root Beer run to Yuma closest known source of that miracle liquid and to visit a friend. Delicious fried chicken dinners and bakery treats at the now closed Alpine Bread Basket.
Now with my shiny groupon in my iPhone I stop in. Interesting location kind of on the side of the highway. I like how this place seems like a house. The free chips were very good. I could tell they were freshly made from the aroma, the crunchiness, and the excellent flavor!
I ordered 3 tacos plain. I loved the flavor of the corn tortillas. The carne asada taco was excellent. The meat was tender and had excellent flavor from various spices. The beef taco was deep fried and had good crunch but was a bit overcooked and the meat on the outside was burnt. I rank it as below average. The carnitas taco was good. The carnitas was lacking that juices dripping onto the plate burst of flavor like at Carnitas Snack Shack that would have made it great.
The pretty young lady in charge of the dining area provided good service and I liked the Mexican music that was playing.